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Since then, traffic ranks have been manning the bus parks but it is evident more ranks would have to be deployed to stop the annoying practice.
To date several touts have been arrested at the East Coast, Sophia and South Ruimveldt bus parks and prosecuted, but they return after a while, as they have claim it (touting) a very profitable occupation.
When the few ranks assigned at a specific bus park move off, the touts intensify their operations with the intent to make up for ‘dollars lost’. In this process, passengers are tugged, pulled, and hauled to buses and not allowed to make their own travelling choices.
For a number of years now, the touts at the bus and car parks have been, not just a matter of discomfort to passengers and other commuters, but the situation has escalated to the point where persons are afraid to venture near certain bus parks in the city.
And passengers who refuse to be bullied are assaulted with vile ‘cuss outs’ by the touts, and in their mad scramble, the touts many times slam into passengers causing actual physical discomfort.
At two of the bus parks yesterday, the police were observed waiting for the touts to pounce on the passengers. Several touts were angered at this and mouthed their displeasure vehemently.
In the meantime, some drivers are suggesting an urgent intervention by the relevant authority to implement a system and have several police officers to enforce law and order at bus parks. They also suggest that there should be a procedure whereby buses are documented as they arrive, so they can queue up orderly, fill up and depart in a systematic manner.
They are also calling for government intervention to have the issue of the touts addressed and resolved once and for all.
