Anyone who travels on public transport regularly will probably have a laundry list of complaints about crowded buses, mechanical failures, interminable waits at bus stations, drunks on the bus...all sorts of unpleasant stuff.
But, the Ministry of Transport wants to implement a strict new regime - and they're doing so with the issuance of new Road Service Permits.
Fact is, most bus operators have not had regular Road Service Permits for at least over a year.
Well now those are being re-issued - but with the promise of strict enforcement. We'll wait and see on that one - but the first step in the right direction was made today when a meeting was held between the Ministry and the Operators.
The CEO laid down the law: There are 37 conditions for a road service permit - and the 36 bus operators have to sign unto all 37 conditions before their new Road Service Permits are issued.
He outlined some of those conditions at the meeting, which was held at the Police Training Academy in Belmopan:
Hon. Edmund Castro - Minister of State, Transport
"I have my CEO, Mr. Dwight Tillett, who will go over about 37 conditions for road service permits that we would like to go through, to make sure that you guys read, digest, understand and sign on to them, to make sure that each and every one of you - owners or managers of those bus companies - are in compliance with the 37 conditions. Most of these conditions are things all of us know that you were supposed to be abiding by a long time ago."
Dwight Tillett - CEO, Transport
"Let's say that if you have a 6 o'clock run, if there are more people there at the terminal wanting to board that bus than you are legally licensed to carry, your road service permit says that you have to provide a backup bus to take care of those people, the passenger must not be left. So, that is a neglect, or a failure to fulfill what you've promised. Operate or cause to be operating an Omni bus with passengers exceeding the licensed capacity, that is one of the big issues, and it's called overcrowding or standees. All holders of road service permits shall, in accordance with the applicable road service permit 1. ensure that an Omni bus scheduled to depart a specific terminal arrives no less than 8 minutes and not more than 15 minutes before its scheduled departure time in respect of regular bus runs, and no less than 5 minutes, and not more than 10 minutes in respect of express or non-stop bus. Ensure that buses depart and arrive at terminals on time as prescribed on the schedule, on the road service permit. That is straightforward. I know that it's everybody's interest that this happens."
The meeting went from 2:00 to 5:30 pm.
Included on the list of conditions is mandatory ticketing for passengers, mandatory uniforms for bus drivers and conductors, mandatory painting and numbering of busses, and a no drinking, no loud music policy for all busses.
Now all that sounds good - on paper, but - as anyone who's travelled a bus knows - what happens "out da road" - is a whole other story!
But, we are told, there will be a road traffic enforcement unit to take care of that.
The new rules go into effect in a month's time which is when the Road Service Permits take effect.
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