Jack Thompson, Road Traffic Controller, acknowledged that the complaints lodged through the media by 38-year-old Wentworth Sears on Thursday left him shocked and disappointed.
Mr. Sears tearfully recounted three separate incidents in which he had been forcibly ejected from public jitneys, including one incident in which a jitney driver allegedly threw his walker off the bus and ordered him to leave the bus.
Mr. Thompson assured that the department does not condone such behaviour, and that it carries with it severe penalties, in fact. He pointed out that the Road Traffic Act is very clear as to the leverage that the controller has. Penalties can vary from one-day suspensions all the way to the revocation of a franchise badge and the franchise itself.
“(For) something of this magnitude, where there is discrimination, victimization, where people are being mistreated, abused, simply because of their condition, itﾒs unacceptable, and certainly itﾒs something that we will not condone,” Mr. Thompson said.
“And the penalty for something like this can be very severe, because if youﾒre not going to serve the public at large (or) if I have to be a well, hearty person to take a bus, then Iﾒm not sure you should be in the public service business.”
According to a press release issued by the department on Friday, “nothing less than professional, courteous and efficient services will be tolerated from public service drivers.
“We, the Road Traffic Department, are very, very disappointed that any person or persons, whoever they may be, would seek to discriminate or to in any way be (unduly) selective in who they engage as passengers,” Mr. Thompson said.
“If persons are going to do that then they donﾒt need to be in the business as far as Iﾒm concerned, and they should really voluntarily give up their license or their franchises. Otherwise, where there is evidence that they are in breach of the law, then weﾒre going to have to take it from them. It is as simple as that.”
Mr. Thompson acknowledged that no jitney driver has been stripped of their franchise for discrimination in his experience; persons with complaints and evidence should step forward. Then investigations can take place.
“I can only act when I know the name of the bus, the bus number, the route of the bus, the time of the day ﾖ the more information I know the better for me, the better the file, the more persons who witness this, the more persons who see this happening and are willing to stand up, the better we can take action,” Mr. Thompson said.
“But I think for too long we sit down and we allow these things to happen and then at the end of the day we cry about it. You take action and then things will begin to happen.”
Mr. Thompson also explained that a priority of the unification of the bussing system is the acquisition of busses that are “disable-friendly.” These busses will be able to take wheelchairs and walkers, which he called a high priority.
“Iﾒm very confident that the fleet of busses that will be operating once we have the one single company, those busses will be outfitted to accommodate those persons who are disabled.”
The Road Traffic press release encouraged the public to lodge complaints that they may have to the Complaints Unit in the Road Traffic Department, at 323-2928 or fax them at 322-5380. The Complaints Unit is located in the Munnings Building north of the Water and Sewerage building on Thompson Boulevard.
By: Quincy Parker, The Bahama Journal
