Save us from unruly bus and taxi drivers
Published:Saturday | January 18, 2025 | 12:05 AM
THE EDITOR, Madam:
This is a call for help for deliverance from the unruly bus and taxi operators. Every town across the Jamaica has been infested with red and white plate vehicles and the wanton lawlessness that they perpetuate on the roads.
It is grossly unfair to people going about their business, to have to deal with the bullying of these bus and taxi operators. It is also grossly unfair having to stay in a line of traffic for hours, because bus and taxi drivers overtake the line only to bore in at the top. They speed on the soft shoulders as if it was the normal road. They stop in the middle of the road and let off passengers on both sides. They drive on the opposite side of the road causing other motorists to seek refuge in bushes. The operators use the turning lanes to go straight, drive through the traffic lights on red; park at stop lights and solicit passengers, tailgate other motorists, block each other for passengers, overtake around corners, and the list continues.
If that were not enough, these operators retrofit their vehicles with disgusting loud horns, loud music speakers, and super bright colourful headlamps. How do motorist guard against the operators who hit their side mirrors because they are making a third lane, cause accidents because they overtake and brake suddenly or hit other vehicles and drive away? Who will rescue the law abiding motorist from unruly operators?
The new Road Traffic Act has harsher penalties, but that seems to have no effect on these unruly bus and taxi operators. This is evident with the volume of tickets that some of these operators have reportedly racked up. The authorities have to employ some different strategies to bring operators in line. One strategy that can be looked at is to target the taxi and bus associations that the operators are affiliated with. These associations would normally come out strong to get fare increases and are silent about the behaviour of their members. The authorities should meet with the associations and impress on them to get their members in line.
It is important that law-abiding motorists standing their ground and not allow taxi and bus operators to bully them.
HEZEKAN BOLTON