“Students ride ebikes instead of taking the bus”
Bus drivers have noticed a drop in the number of passengers. They suspect that this is the result of the growing popularity of the ebikes. Several bus drivers have noticed that many students are going to school on their ebike instead of taking the bus. They are relieved that many people still prefer to rely on public transportation to reach their destinations. The bus drivers who are members of the Private Regular Service Bus Owners’ Organization (PLO) made it clear that they are fed up with waiting for their affairs to be taken care of. They complained that they haven’t received any subsidy for the past six months. “We must take care of personal business but can’t. If our buses break down, we have to take them to the repair shop or else we can’t earn any money to take care of our families,” said the bus owners. “We have been busy for the past three years but no solution has been found yet.” The bus owners do not know if the fault lies with the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Tourism (TCT), the PLO or the government but explained that they hold the PLO accountable because the union must protect their interests. It is said that the Ministry of Finance and Planning still has not transferred the funds which is why the bus owners can’t receive their state subsidy. The bus owners have presented a proposal aimed at addressing this problem. They proposed to end the subsidy and to raise the bus fares.…[+]