Transport Ministry, Bus Operators Address Overcrowding and Passenger Safety

The Ministry of Transport held a stakeholders’ meeting last week with over thirty bus operators to discuss critical matters impacting the public transportation sector. The session aimed to strengthen collaboration between the Ministry and operators while addressing pressing issues affecting commuters and service providers. One of the primary topics of discussion was the safety of passengers during rush hour, particularly the issue of “standees.” With buses often overcrowded during peak travel times, many commuters are forced to stand while in transit, raising significant safety concerns. Love News spoke with Chief Transport Officer, Leon Gentle, who explained that the ministry is willing to work with stakeholders to ensure that there are enough buses during peak times. 

Leon Gentle, Chief Transport Officer: “One of the main reasons for bringing them to the meeting as well was to discuss some of the challenges that we’ve been having. And a part of that challenge is what you’ve just brought up, the idea of having certain areas, in certain times, the number of standees primarily because it may have been the last bus that is available to them. So the task force that we will be assembling along with them will be looking at those areas to ensure that buses are available within the times, especially the peak times where passengers travel to and from work. Another element is that they had suggested to us that they have the data, they have the knowledge, and so part of joining together with them in terms of clustering the different groupings they would be arranging themselves within the northern zone, the western zone, to ensure that during peak times we have enough buses. And that is a part of our national scheduling and routing exercise. That we’re hoping to have a national schedule once that is completed.”

To accommodate this, a new bus schedule is expected to be revised and established.