Bus drivers take action on Nov 2
if fare increase not implemented
By Judy H. Fitzpatrick
~ Laveist says action regrettable, will make contingency plans ~
PHILIPSBURG--Public transportation could be severely disrupted on Friday, November 2, if the fare increase requested by the Bus Driver’s Association (BDA) does not go into effect on Thursday, November 1, as projected by government.
A large number of bus drivers who met at Philipsburg Jubilee Library Sunday agreed to abandon their duties and meet in Philipsburg at 8:00am on November 2 if the increase was not implemented on the tentative date announced by Transportation Commissioner Louie Laveist and Public Transportation Committee (PTC) Chairwoman Lucy Gibbes last Friday.
When contacted for comment, Laveist said the action planned by the Association was regrettable, especially as efforts had been made to enlighten the public and all bus drivers via the press about what was taking place with regard to the requested fare increase and the comprehensive transportation system.
The drivers will determine their exact course of action during a meeting at Philipsburg Jubilee Library on Sunday, October 27. “We feel that government is playing games with us,” BDA President Jose Slac told members. “We don’t want to hear via the media on November 1 that there was a glitch and the increase will no longer be going into effect, so we are planning action now.”
Laveist, who has publicly endorsed the fare increase, said he did not expect the process to introduce the increase to take longer than November 1. However, he noted that there should be room for eventualities and he would be making contingency plans to reduce the impact of any action by the Association to disrupt public transportation.
“I will seek alternatives to ensure that the public will not suffer,” he said late Sunday. “We expect the increase to go into effect on November 1, but you never know what can happen between now and then. All the information was provided by the Association and it’s now just a matter of it going through the necessary procedures.”
Slac said members were being called to take action because of government’s inaction and not responding to the BDA request for a meeting. The association also believes the November 1 date announced for the increase to go into effect is a “hoax” to keep them quiet. Board members said they had also been told that the increase would go into effect in January 2007, but this had not happened.
“We want to move from diplomacy to concrete action, because this is what government listens to – pressure, raw pressure,” said Public Relations Officer Changa “Ras Changa” Hickinson.
“November 1 is not set in stone. We have struggled for 17 years and it’s time to say enough is enough. Government has been given enough time,” one bus driver said during the meeting.
Board members said they had already provided the information regarding the children’s fares and fare for the elderly about two months ago. This information, along with a request to amend the wording in BDA’s fare increase proposal, was recently requested by the commissioner.
The drivers also claimed that they hadn’t yet received a written response from the Executive Council on their request for a meeting, submitted over a month ago. The board thought it was not appropriate for the commissioner to respond to their request via the press.
Laveist said a meeting hadn’t been arranged with the association before because clarity was needed on certain issues. He expects a decision on their request to be taken by the Executive Council this week. Laveist also believes the association’s members are not being properly informed by their representatives. He said this was the reason he had resorted to informing all bus drivers about the issue via the press.
“They (bus drivers) are so badly represented that if I have to give information it will be given via the media. If the captain is not captaining properly the team will always lose,” he said.
Other members of the board present at the meeting were Vice President Isorel Fecunda and board member Andres Montero.
