Do not yield to private bus pressure

Rumblings of disgruntlement emanating from a private bus employees' trade union are likely to have local bus commuters worried and alarmed. For, such growing discontentment usually snowballs into crippling bus strikes which leave the public high and dry.

Needless to say, the inconveniences and hardships the commuting public are subjected to in such crises are nothing but nightmarish.

Apparently, the employees' main worry is job security. They are also chafing against firm law enforcement by the Police; something which sensible sections would always welcome.

In "trade union struggles" such as these, the employees of private buses usually do not win a sympathetic hearing from the public. This is on account of, mainly, the callous treatment to which the public are usually subjected by private bus crews.

The latter also tend to be a law unto themselves, playing ducks and drakes, as it were, with the law of the land and their civic responsibilities. Need we say that some of the most horrendous road accidents are caused by rampaging private buses ?

We, therefore, call on the State to be firm in handling crises of this kind. The inviolable principle in these matters is that the public need to have value for money. If this condition is not complied with by the private bus operatives, there is no justification for an increase in private bus fares.

Nor are private bus employees justified in pressing for increased job security. Besides, the law cannot be relaxed for private bus operators. The law should continue to be stringently applied against errant private bus operators and we call on the Police never to relent in dealing with highway lawlessness and chaos, whatever their origins. In fact, we call for greater rigour in law enforcement because it is the perception that they could get round the law which is encouraging errant bus operatives to observe the law more in the breach.

We call on the State to consider the interests of the public in the face of strike action by the private bus sector. The majority of the public depend on the public transport system for their daily travel. The people cannot be let down at any cost. Their right to safe public transport must be upheld.

As we have time and again been saying, the State transport system must be continuously upgraded and strengthened, if the public interest is to be upheld in these situations. It would be a great relief and boon to the public if they are made less dependent on the private bus sector.

A rejuvenated State transport system is the answer.