SXMElections.com

That emotions reportedly ran high during Thursday night’s meeting with local bus and taxi drivers may have had something to do with the recent special controls on public transportation operators (see Saturday paper). The Control Unit checked 14 buses and had two towed, while fines were issued for driving without a permit and even for being improperly dressed, among other things.

Legitimate operators actually should be happy with these actions. After all, there have been many complaints about illegal competition from so-called “gypsy drivers.”

Better regulating the industry and enforcing the rules also was a topic during the consultation with stakeholders by Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) Minister Claret Connor and his team. That some of those present were sceptical because of prior experience with Government is understandable, but that is no reason to give up when it comes to striving for progress.

The minister in any case took the criticism in stride, saying the team had been given a lot to work with and seeing that as an opportunity rather than a problem. The points brought forward as the proposed content of draft legislation in any case made sense, although there apparently remain concerns over issues that also involve other ministries, such as health insurance.

The desire obviously is to introduce and execute a wide-ranging policy that covers all aspects of the sector, like routing, assistant and help drivers, training, terminals and the dormant public transport committee. While that will take some time and resources, including financing, that may not be readily available right away, there are always simple things one can do in the meantime.

The current bus stops are far from ideal, but they certainly can be fixed up and improved a bit. For example, something relatively easy such as having Public Works issue regulation and uniform signs indicating the routes inside all licensed buses also to help reassure passengers could make quite a difference.

To actually get things moving, the trick is often to think big, but start small.