Some bus drivers from Mahaut are presently staging protest action at their bus terminal in Roseau.
They complain that they are not happy about the operations at the terminal.
“We have held several meetings with police and authorities but it has not changed,” a bus driver, Isaiah Joseph said.
He said buses are refusing to follow the lines and would pick up passengers randomly at the terminal.
“It is not fair for those in the line who have waited for hours,” he said.
The bus drivers also said the authorities are dragging their feet on the matter despite numerous complains.
“We need a wake up call. We have gone to the traffic department and we know the system can work it needs to be regulated,” Julian Laville, acting president of the the Mahaut Buses Association, said.
“You have Mahaut, Canefield, St Joseph buses here … it is just rough, its frustrating and they need to regulate the bus terminal,” Laville stated.
ASP Patrickson Albert, head of the Traffic Department who was on the scene, said something needs to be done about the matter. “We are fed up … those who are obstructing will be prosecuted,” he said
“It is clear that there are too many buses on the road plying that route and something has to be done,” he said.
It is time to raise the bar for both customer and drivers, raise standards and arrange a fair playing field for all, rules and regulation that can be enforced.
DRIVER responsibilities.
-Set up Driver’s association to discuss issues affecting drivers and provide representation to both government and customer groups
-Obtain licence to drive a bus from Traffic Department
-Obtain customer services training
-Maintain bus mechanically and presentation at all times
-No loud music, the bus may be yours, but the competition being so cut-throat you do not want your customers to go your competitors
-Must always look presentable and be prepared to show your Insurance liability certificate and your Traffic Department Number
-All buses must be painted in colours that represent the region that they are serving and state their destination at the front of the bus.
Custoimer
-Should have the right to chose the bus they want
Traffic Department
-Set up designated Bus Terminal mark according to region
-Set up BUS STOPS along the various routes so customer know to get on/off.
-Each Bus Stop should be named,
-Fares must be properly sign posted and publicly stated so everyone know what they are, thus avoid any confusion.
-Start and Finish service time should also be made public.
-Ensure bus driver are given specific routes to operate for fairness to all. Also a time period. Licence could be revoked if there too many complaints from customers or involved in many accidents or have many traffic infringements
-Ensure taxes are paid in full before renewal period
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
If the line system is to work effectively, there must be a dispatcher to ensure the buses should leave as ordered. The bus driver at the front of the line should not dictate the time to leave because it can be very inconvenient for the passengers. A time factor should be put in place to determine how long a bus can stay at the front of the line. I wonder if the protesters would like that.
That line is a total watse of time. Most of the drivers spend half of the day sit down doing nothing. Let the passangers choose what is best for them. These drivers are not making sense. Some of them are just too greedy stupsss. The old system was the best. Now for now unstead of waiting over an hour to get home.
It is not just bus drivers. We Dominicans have a problem with standing in line and waiting out turn. Even at the bank, someone who’s supposed to be behind you is usually standing by your side breathing in your face.
“Even at the bank, someone who’s supposed to be behind you is usually standing by your side breathing in your face.”
True and I hate it. People have no sense of what is one’s personal space.
We need in Dominica a National Bus System that is predictable – from 4:30 a.m. in the morning to 2:00 a.m. next morning., same comfort levels that includes soothing music and zero emissions.
What happened to walking? everything is a bus bus bus!! they going half a mile, they going to church, is a bus, they going down the road to buy fish, is a bus! walk people walk!!
can someone tell me who is the Female police officer facing towards the Camera
Pervert
Is that relevant?
Led ous led qui fen ous sort
in every bus system have right away and thts wats the problem on the bus stop the jus come bus drivers to dam greedy
Tell me something, if I’m a bus driver, I come to town with a load of passengers, after they have disembarked and I do not want to wait in a line to collect passengers, I decided to leave town, am
I not allowed to pick up passengers on my way out off town? I think it would be unfair for me to pass a passenger standing on the road and refuse to pick them up
The bus services system in St Lucia, Barbados Trinidad even Venezuela are so well organized, why cant they follow these systems?
in these places you mentioned if you pick up a passenger without following the bus line you would be charged. know your facts. in st. lucia the bus stop is built in away that the wall blocks any bus from passing another bus and there is a board to mark the buses that come and leave, same in Barbados and trindad.
So if there are no passengers to carry, some of these able bodied men to go and work the soil. there are several benefits No. 1. They will live longer. 2. They will always have money in their pockets – everything sells these days. 3. They will be growing their own food.
Go back to the soil, fellas. All you dere getting fat being dem wheels!
Man you so right. All dem belly big especially de on in de red shirt
you are so right. Also they terrorise everybody else on the roads with there inconsiderate driving, parking, speeding, polluting the air, etc. Most of them are road villains. I’ve no sympathy for anyone of them.
Look at the composition of the bus drivers, 99% men. There will always be conflict. Very Little cooperation among Dominicans these days. Looks like we have a dog eat dog society. Nobody cares these days. The Police certainly cannot man every bus stand (not stop) in Dominica. They are already shorthanded but on the other hand we need strict enforcement of the traffic regulations not only at the bus stands and in Roseau but all around the island. Dominica needs another 300 police officers in order for the Police force to successfully man this lovely island of hours. Keep your fingers crossed maybe that will appear in the next budget……
The structural integrity and morality of the society is practically destroyed, and the fish begins to smell from the head… Remember the song: Crabs in a barrel? Moral etiquette seems to have been destroyed. As a country, we must return to the days (Prior to BET and Cable TV that broadcasted smut to our country for free)when Dominica was a beloved, respected and practically crime free nation…
i just had to laugh the way the policemen have their little note books.alah
Check. The police officers they. Look. Unprofessional inn their. Uniform yakkkk
U JUS JALOU
First, they need to get rid of all those little mini buses that all over the place. Get some bigger buses like what Pappi had before so that it can accommodate more people with less traffic.
Also, DA don’t know how to form lines. In the US, everything is a line and everyone is just used to that and know that you have to stand on line. I remember going to DA after many years for creole festival and I was shocked as hell when I went to buy my ticket. OMG I will never forget that. One crowd of ill mannered people, pushing, shouting, stepping on my toes. You would think they were giving out some free food to the most starved people in the world. I never wished to be on a line so bad in my life.
I often wonder what would happen if DA had to get traffic lights. How many people would really wait for the red light to turn green. Dominicans are some busy people wi. Things to do, places to go, people to see. Fete, Jam and Bowdel.
It is wrong to impose the values of one society on another. Never forget that slavery kept Black people in lines in the US. I too live in the US, and I am happy that some of our people stayed at home -like the song said- to manicure what we ran from, and we should be grateful that they are holding the fort for our “show off” vacations. But on the other hand Iagree with you that people are people and something has to be done about the orral etiquette and manners of some of these young people in Dominica.
You should see Dominicans when they go to get tickets for a cricket match. Your lucky if you get out with a few bruises. Your almost trampled to death. No consideration for one another at all.
Too much hypocrisy. How we expect people to adhere to rules and regulations when some openly violate laws without consequences. Take for example the very important regulation regarding left hand drive vehicles. How is it that some are allowed to operste their vehicle without the required identification.
There are those who blatantly avoid paying taxes and are allowed to run shut gun on the sy see tem yet others are chastised and publically called out.
Too much double standard. Some are required to substantiate their sudden wealth orthers can play all kind of games with the justice system.
The bus drivers musy wait in line to make a living others can jump the line of prosperity and become multimillionares with no hard work to show.
DNO it was better b 4 on the road but those bus driver wanted 2 make more monies there are some buses dat not even makin $150.00 dollars fa there day where as some used 2 make more then others so now who used 2 make the most fa there day not makin more then $130 fa there day others do make it so they VEX bout IS GREEDY THEY GREEDY.
Currently there is no bus present in Mahaut for Roseau like is Roseau only that have have passengers.if there is 40 or 60 buses why can’t a fraction be in Mahaut district and the rest in Roseau.Please guys organise you all selves and stop the fighting and coorperate.
Some of these bus drivers are too greedy. Take what you all ask for.
Those who are now complaining are the very same ones that violate the law when on the roads driving.Stop any where and any how;speeding and over taking etc;just name the violation.They should also protest in the manner they opperate on the roads.
When it have ships you can’t get a bus from Mahal some time u have to take a st.Joe,and in ANtigua where i have been you can stop the bus out side of the bus terminal,them Mahal bus drivers just self fish,i will not call names,why st.joy bus drivers dont have problem in picking up passagers??.??.?.? I’M FROM BACK STREET MAHAUT
this typical Dominica situation: even if the rules exist nobody follows them. Its actually the police responsibility to enforce the rules as Dominicans just unable to regulate themselves. A lot of nations realized that existence and implementation of the rules reduces the cost…Traffic culture just horrible in Dominica and the same drivers protesting today completely disregard any safety rules stopping suddenly without signaling, speeding as crazy, making dangerous maneuvers etc
I hope Dominica will have such police authority which will enforce the law and make the island safe…
it’s hardly a police matter!
I agree with the head of the Traffic Department…too many buses…A person wishing to ply a particular route should be applying to the Authority (Transport Board for example) for the permission and the Authority in turn with all its info should approve or disapprove accordingly. Of course the financial institutions would be reposessing less buses as is happening now since I would expect the Authority would have on all routes just the required numbers so all operators would be making it.
Great suggesting/Good post…
DNO we are going to make you the repository of these good ideas from the likes of IPO and DRASTIC and send it to the traffic dept.
People keep the ideas flowing
Things are very hard right now. The boys drivers should co-operate and allow each bus driver a full load of passengers. Therefore all will prosper.
Bus drivers aren’t educated enough to be organized.
LMBAO…
joke of the day!
(on a serious note, that’s discriminatory)
Not only bus drivers but the entire population. Our people still do not know how to wait on line and wait your turn. The only place I see this is happening is at the banks. When our children see us in a crowd fighting to get ahead of people who are already ahead of us on line, what do we expect them to learn? It is a vicious cycle and we need to stop it and teach our kids how to wait their turn in a gathering or in public. We are a civilized world. These bus drivers are doing exactly what they learned their elders did before them. The cycle needs to be broken and that’s that. Last month after a funeral in a certain village in the North East food and drinks were served. Excuse my french, the people acted very disordely…like pigs. The family was so ashamed. People clean your act.
That’s why you are not a bus driver. You are too stupid.
in antigua at the west bus terminal there an office where there are police present from time the bus stand open till it close, without something like this put in place bus drivers will always be picking up passengers anywhere on the bus stop and will not wait in line. so i think that is what the bus drivers association should ask for
The bus drivers should have Uniform. Pick solid colors of polo shirts and jeans, that would make them look like an organization or association. Another this is the drivers must also keep the buses clean and in good working condition.
It’s not about uniform its setting things in order
how is a uniform going to make any difference to where they pick up passengers? who can see uniform when they looking for the name of the bus to make sure it’s going where they want?
“Uniform?” these bus drivers are mainly self employed people, who is going to pay for the “uniforms?” you?
Mahaut bus drivers always in roro.how come the other bus drivers that have the same operating system doesn’t b fighting so.
That’s not true, got to the soufriere bus stop. Crabs alone that there
How comes i didn’t see anybody “fighting?”
There is a reason why so many persons want the Mahaut route. They are fighting for something. I may be wrong but I thnk an investigation needs to be carried out.
bus system is in question
police force full of courption
hospital scans not working
govrnment ministers have dual pasport
porverty on the incresas
what really works on our island
every one should really have a high standard of living but few have all the wealth
You to STUPID
Delete this post
high rates of illiteracy
Go back on d farm…
while it is true that there must be discipline on the bus stop, I do not expect for a policeman to just come and arrest a conductor just because he calls a passenger, as it has already happen some days ago. it is the right of a passenger to choose what bus he or she wants to travel on. If it takes going and sitting on the bus and wait I do not see a problem there. sometime a passenger wants to go off route and is not all the bus drivers that will do that for you.
The bus drivers need to organized themselves better than that. they have too much greed & jealousy in them. I suggest that let the buses be like before if these drivers cannot behave themselves, or have two sets of passenger buses. THE RIGHT AWAY BUSES ON ONE SIDE AND THE LINE UP BUSES ON THE OTHER SIDE. You might not want to see that but all you cannot conduct all youselves like grownup so you all have to be treated otherwise.
well said. Also if you think a driver drives too reckless you have a right to not put your life in his hands.
I must admit, i was happy with the way things worked when i was last there. I would just walk out of the shop with my passion fruit juice and someone would shout ‘Mahaut Bus’ at me and there wasn’t much sitting around waiting in the heat for some bus to get full.
Unless a proper system is not developed across the board for bus transportation; there will always be a problem. A system cannot be implimented for only Mahaut. Further there is no law against a bus driver not waiting in line. He didnt sign any memorandum agreeing to such. It is now the authorities to devise a proper mechanism for bus operations. Moreover anyone should not be given license to drive bus. As it now, Anyone with a class C license can operate a bus service..This absolutely absurd..There should be proper system for obtaining a license to operate a bus. The authorities need to get busy!!
If you were stranded in the rain a long way from home, hungry and tired; here comes a bus whose driver has a class C license; would you board that bus, or not?
Tell them bus drivers to park the bus and go plant fig
To many buses inspector ? I think not, one of the things am certain of is i getting onto a bus within seconds of arriving on the bus terminal.What needs to be done is to place police officers at the terminal location.
One police officer on the terminal can generate revenue equal to three public servant salarys.
(SAME FOR UNDER THE CANEFIELD CLIFF)
To many buses… Look at the bustop terminal it’s like a space center down there…. D/A maybe have more buses than the country population… Dominicans would be able to invest in heavy equipment if it was operation if the government was giving them a chance of roads projects, ect. Yall, better tho try n play politics on me just because I mention the government because I’m the most neutral person you can find on this planet.
mahaut rorowhat you expect bunch of girls ring around a rosy.
Some bus drivers need to clean their bus and make it smell good to get passengers. sometimes you have to go on a bus that you don’t want to. come on. make the bus attractive.
Not only dat nah…some of dem buses dere seats made for children…If you have a little height you in trouble wi…squeeze up.
i get the impression that they modify these buses to squeeze in more seats.
RECOMMENDATION
The Bus and Taxi operators should form their association with the help of the police and responsible government entity as the regulators.
1.Each Bus Line should be given a number.
2.There should be desinated drop off and Pick up for certain routes…For example Portsmouth Bus should not be stopping to pick up Mahaut Passengers
3.Heavy travelled routes should have a time stamp…arrival and depature….so you stagger the bus routes and time
This is a good working suggestion to build on
Feel free to expound on my suggestions.
DNO can then present these suggestion to the parties involved.
3.Heavy travelled routes should have a time stamp…arrival and depature….so you stagger the bus routes and time
This one is very important for the heavy travelled “Metro” routes, so it gives us a a detailed schedules. What that does it limits people from walking towards Pottersville to get the bus that is leaving.
This clears up the clogging at the egress of the bridge and it improves safety factor.
People keep the idea flowing
metro? as in metropolis? not appropriate for Dominica. It’s fine the way it is. What would help is a way of identifying the destination of buses when they are not is their prescribed bus stands. ie route numbers displayed clearly at the front.
Do you know why buses can keep a tight schedule in large cities even if they are empty? It’s because they are subsidized by the taxpayer. Do you want a private operator to drive an empty bus so that you can travel on a schedule?
Good idea, great question. Then maybe we have too many buses on these routes hence the clogging around the area and the confusion and the protest.
So how d we mitigate these issues and how do we adress conflict resolution.
Sometmes we have to lead and make hard decisions. But we cannot allow any and everybody to be a bus driver, do a Roseau to Mahaut route.
The issue is more than regulation it is more about the availability of passengers and business. The bottom line is bus drivers are desperate -no business. Passengers have no money or reason to travel to town. No jobs, no cruise ships. Can you imagine waiting in a line knowing fully well that few passengers left are the last of the mohikans. While I strongly support the need for order (wait your turn) desperate times call for desperate measures. Though many may be afraid to say so things are rough in Dominica.spin in , shake it, put ketchup on it the taste is the same on the taste buds of majority and the rain falls on all our house top
I for one have no problem with the line system but i pick and choose the buses i travel on so if the first bus is not in my choice i stand and wait or go and sit on a bus i am comfortable with. some bus drivers are too disrespectful so some passengers will always go on other buses thus leading to this confusion
We need FOFO, SEKELECK,TOP RANKING,JONES, MATHEW back on the bus route there was no fighting you board any one wanted and everybody was happy way to many buses on the Mahaut route when you are buying a bus one of the terms when you are registering the bus is your route if there are to many buses on the route you will have to run somewhere else ect if you are caught running somewhere where you shouldn’t be ticket that bus driver so many buses are sold for the Mahaut route it is riduculous
Isn’t there a transport board ? what is its function ? The transport board is the body responsible for managing the bus routes . Every bus route should be properly organized and controlled by controller which should help with the unemployment situation.
My dear, we have so many boards: company board, blackboard, cardboard, hardboard, ironing board, circuit board, room and board and you want what? A transport board? So many boards, you get bored already! Only thing missing is a diving board for board members to jump bord lamer.
Gassa that is the best response I have seen all day!!
Lool Look jokes
Woosh scandalous! Kekkekekekkeke hahahaHhaha why! Dat make my nite
That was a good one Malgraysa. That one is the icing on the cake. A good laugh! That one made my day. Thanks. Still laughing.
absolutely genius!
Maybe it is our lack of courtesy on display as a nation. How id that different from people not wanting to wait their turn to get served? They just butt in even if you we there before them.
The balme should not fall entirely on the bus drivers. We need to look at our behavior as a society. Some of our people too malcasay.
take a look at the grandbay bus drivers they have been doing this for years with no confusion
Yes, but that bus stop is de most stinking and dirty bus stop in Dominica.
So what, it is the city council’s responsibility to ensure the place is kept clean and tidy. The Grandbay bus drivers are not that different except they know that if they try to pull tricks on their colleages the cohesion in that community is strong enough for them to know that if they try that they will regret the consequences. So they keep each other in check and cooperate which is the best way.
For the Police to come and try rectify the problem, they coming with how much book to give dem man ticket. The change of the bus system not workin in dem man favor, dats y they protesting.
why not adopt the same system as saint lucia? i recalled that saint lucia’s system was very bad and four of us undertook to clean it up. It was not easy but today many persons enjoy a safe and comfortable service but are not aware of the work the four of us did from 1988 until 2008 before the politics forced us to move away. the drivers need to set up the system to regulate themselves
So what was it you did….you left this open ended
the system is St Lucia is well organised. Routes are numbered as well the the destination clearly displayed. But the bus drivers in St Lucia are anything but safe. They drive like maniacs, they are always having accidents and they drink and drive.
An organized bus system is needed. I have seen it working very well in St Lucia, Trinidad and Jamaica. And if we implement it in DA it will work wonders- every bus driver will get loads everyday, the streets will be less congested and there will be no confusion. The authorities should really look into it.
It should not be so hard to regulate this problem. The police department should ticket and charge those who refuse to follow the rukes. After say, three tickets suspend the driving privledges and that should make others who refuse to follow the rules fall in line. Also the DA gov’t needs to pass laws to alow the inaurance industry to increase their (the unscrouplous) drivers premius when they refuse to follow the rules. I hate to mention this but there are several places around the world , when you keep getting these driving tickets for driving violations you pay the price. And there is no need for some of you to place negative vibes against I just wrote cuz this is just fair for those poeple who are trying to follow the rules.
The bus drivers are to disorganized. You have to seat on a bus for half an hour before it can leave the bus stop. We want to wait at least 10 minutes on a bus, when you leave work all you need to do is get home and the drivers are over doing it. They must regulate the time one sits on a bus, or let us have RIGHT-OF-WAY. They are toooooooooo disorganized.
Where are the people to full the buses to make it work. The country is empty .D/A is going down.
It is obvious that there are way to many buses on the road. The authorities must start putting a limit to persons applying for permits to operate Buses. There is to much confusion at bus stops, be it the main bus stop or community bus stops. The fact of the matter is that the bust stop by the River Bank is way to small to accommodate the large fleet of buses from many communities. Something has to be done because if I was a bus operator, I would be fed up.
Correct me somebody, if I get this wrong. But from my own observations, the police is usually in the vicinity of the Mahaut bus stop issuing tickets on a daily basis. For what, I don’t know, but there always appear to be police in the area. Probably this, too, should be added to menu of responsibilities.
The system can rally work. First of all is cooperation from all the bus drivers. Buses in line are supposed to remain locked until their turn reaches the front of the line and then the door is unlocked. In that way, passengers must fill the bus first in line and not jump into any other bus. The buses can be filled so quickly. I see it working well in St. Lucia and it can work here too. Just love and cooperation they need.
You see we have this issue in Dominica where some bus drivers become unpopular with the customers why? because they tend to increase the fee when they find out where in the village you going..If you get off by the Mahuat it’s one price.drive a little further in and the price gone up magically. Bus fares should be set by the Traffic Department and clearly define the areas where fares are different and displayed on the buses for those routes. How come Portsmouth and Marigot and Wesley, maybe grandbay too don’t get it confused. The bus drivers say they that paying their loan not traffic department. Well maybe the government should set up it’s own bus service and then they’ll come crying that the government unfair. All in all I have no issues with the amount of buses on the road cause at the best of times you can’t get one on time anyway. Going home should be easy not true. Some of them don’t want to go to certain parts of the village because they know they want to charge a different price for each little couwen they pass. take what allu get
works well in Antigua as well for many many years.but still mahaut line has way to many buses.buses ready to go pass iroc into d ghetto wi.smh…
True. However there needs to be regulation all around.
You see, the reason persons avoid certain buses at the front is because the bus drivers:
1. drive too fast!
2. drive while talking on their cell phones!
3. Stop their bus along the root to do their personal business while passengers are on the bus! OR
4. Are coercing their passengers to “small up”/squeeze in a seat when you are paying your money for 1 seat, not half a seat!
Regulation All Around Is Needed!!!!!!!!!
they really have a good system in St. Lucia and the others do not even have to lock their doors the passengers follow the rules further more the other drivers help to full the buses they make sure that the first bus get its load and then move the other one forward. But owers here love the money just to see they make more than others while others cant. Drivers show more love among yourself and help one anothe share brother share. Tomorrow the one you prevent to make a dollar is the one that will turn around and lend you a dollar when you are in need. There should be one lane with walls on both side let me see how you all would cross infornt without waithing your turn
correction “ours”