THE vast majority of consumers use public transport for both business and pleasure. Public transport is like a second self and remains with most people throughout their lives. Consumers and the public at large therefore inevitably have concerns about public transport.

If one is to visi the bus parks in Georgetown at most times of the day, one is bound to see ‘touts’. These ‘touts’ try to fill up the buses for which they are employed and are usually paid $100 per load. The touts call out to commuters, taking their bags and depositing them in the buses for which they are working thus ensuring a passenger. Women commuters are often held by the arm, to their great annoyance and almost dragged into buses. Older women are called “Mother” or “Auntie” hoping that affectionate forms of address will win them a passenger. Often, at busy times, commuters are sometimes manhandled and dragged into buses. Worse still, there could be serious altercations and even fights among the touts to protect their perceived territories. Commuters regard these touts as disgusting nuisances. It is generally felt that if there was a police presence the parks would be more orderly. Better still, if the buses on each route were to organise themselves to fill up on an orderly basis, there would be no touting. The UG park on Regent Street opposite the Bank of Baroda is an example of orderliness and the absence of touts and contrasts with the Plaisance park just across the road.

Very often, especially during rush hours, the buses are thickly overcrowded. Such overcrowding is not only uncomfortable for the passengers but creates a traffic hazard. Several traffic accidents have been attributed to overcrowding. The windows of the buses are often not opened making them hot and uncomfortable and if a passenger has a cold or air-borne infectious disease, other commuters could easily be infected. The conductors should open the windows and keep the buses ventilated and not expect the passengers to do this duty. If the police were at the parks, this would avoid overcrowding; this would avoid the police having to look for overcrowded buses on the road.

Some attempt was made in the past to have the buses carry rubbish receptacles. This initiative failed because the buses were always crowded and there was no central place to put a rubbish receptacle. The bus floors, therefore, continued to be littered with rubbish. The buses should be swept during working hours and not await the end of the day when they are retired.

Some bus parks are daily hotbeds of confusion and even violence among the buses vying for parking spaces. This is especially true in the Commerce Street area where the East Coast Demerara buses are parked. The reason for this daily confusion and tension between the owners and drivers is the inadequacy of the park to accommodate the number of buses. If there was a police presence, it would ensure that there was orderliness and eliminate the daily confusion.

One of the greatest nuisances to which commuters are daily subjected is the loud recorded music which all buses play. The “music” usually includes raucous and vulgar songs, usually coming out of Jamaica. These songs are often disparaging of women and are sometimes racist. Some of these songs are full of indecent language and insinuations and children travelling on these buses are subjected to this level of corruption. Occasionally, parents travelling with children protest to the driver or conductor but they are invariably met with aggressive abuse and threats. Most commuters are afraid to ask the drivers or conductors to take off or lower the volume since they know they would be assailed with similar abuse. Commuters who wish to listen to music while on buses usually have their earphones and recorders.

The loud noises on the buses are a great health hazard because on most occasions the noise is more than 120 decibels. Eighty decibels is what the ear could normally tolerate; 100 decibels or more could impair one’s hearing and could result in deafness. Being subjected to such noise for long periods has made many bus drivers and conductors hard-of-hearing. Many years ago, Parliament unanimously passed a law banning music on the buses and permitting the police to seize music equipment. The police effectuated the law and in a few months were able to control music on the buses. They thought the nuisance had been ended but it has since been resuscitated. With stern action, the police could eradicate the nuisance in a short time.

Reckless driving and speeding are known characteristics of the minibuses and have resulted in many fatal accidents. Though the police have made some prosecutions, there is room for their greater activity.

Orderliness, comfort and safety could be brought to the public transportation system, especially in respect of the minibuses, if there is a greater and more ubiquitous police presence at the bus parks and along the main bus routes known for speeding. More important, however, the bus drivers, owners and conductors should be compelled to attend sessions teaching road courtesy, noise pollution and its dangers, cleanliness of the buses, keeping the buses ventilated at all times, the use of bus parks and so on. Such training sessions could be linked to the licensing process and should be obligatory and regular.