Bus drivers behaving badly

Bus drivers, already suffering from an image problem, were found to have committed 932 breaches of their code of conduct over the past nine months with offences ranging from swearing and smoking to failing to obey traffic signs and driving right past bus stops.

A Code of Conduct and Discipline for bus drivers was introduced in February as part of efforts to improve the service under an agreement reached between the government, the Public Transport Authority (ADT) and the Public Transport Association.

A total of 471 fines, amounting to Lm5,948, were settled immediately by the offenders, while another 46 were decided at a tribunal with bus drivers having to cough up Lm400, Darrell Pace, the Roads Ministry spokesman, told The Times.

The most common offence was changing the schedule without authorisation, with 359 fines issued, followed by 97 fines for failing to report to work as stipulated by the roster.

Twelve fines of Lm25 each were dished out to bus drivers for using blasphemous words, though many suspect this figure would be much higher if everybody had to file a report for every rude word uttered.

Another 23 fines were issued to those who failed to stop at a bus stop, 21 for deviating from the established route and eight fines for parking in a prohibited place.

A number were caught using a mobile phone and others failed to keep their bus clean or well-maintained.

The bulk of the reports were made by ADT enforcement officers rather than by the public, which may mean that some bus drivers have been let off the hook if people have failed to report any shortcoming.

Before the code was introduced the only way bus drivers could be reprimanded for their misbehaviour was through the courts, which put people off from making any reports.

The code's introduction means that bus drivers have no choice but to obey if they do not want to be fined and as a result their behaviour is changing slowly, according to the ministry spokesman.

"An increase in patronage over the last year, a decrease in the number of complaints received by phone and an increased compliance with vehicle maintenance requirements could indicate a change for the better in bus drivers' behaviour," Mr Pace said.

Mr Pace said that if the public wanted to report any incident complaints should be directed to ADT's Customer Care Unit freephone 8007 2393.