By Dr Richard A. Byron-Cox
It makes me no Columbus in pointing out that absolute disorder/complete lawlessness is the modus operandi of the overriding majority of the buses operating in our privately owned public transport system. This insanity on the roads has been taking place for years, causing serious accidents, material damage, and the loss of lives; yet the authorities, namely the government and police, remain blind to this social ill. In the first place, these buses stop in the middle of the road when offloading and taking on passengers, even where there are dedicated bus stops. This they do trying to prevent buses behind them from collecting passengers that may be ahead, thereby bringing the traffic to a complete halt, and forcing the vehicles behind to cross over into the lane of on-coming traffic on these, our narrow and busy streets.
I often wonder whether these bus drivers are daredevils and if our roads are Formular 1 race tracks. The insane speed at which these buses travel, makes it apparent that the drivers are immortals and the lives of passengers are worthless. This madness occurs every second of everyday, often within the lens of uniformed traffic police who stand blind, deaf and dumb to this recklessness, leaving onlookers to ponder whether these officers’ job is merely to dress to look cute in public. No surprise therefore that there is a prevailing view among many that the police is the most useless organisation in a public service that already leaves much to be desired. Indeed, some argue that the 40 million plus we spend annually on this bunch is a colossal waste of precious limited resources.
Then there is the issue of these buses being noise terrorists and long-term health hazards, rattling windowpanes and awaking entire neighbourhoods at their chosen hour with deafening cacophony they erroneously call music. Old people disembark these buses with headaches, earaches, and sometimes disoriented by this audio terror. If we don’t put a stop to this now, in 15 to 30 years a significant part of the population is going to have serious hearing problems. This country has a noise act and laws pertaining to disturbance of the peace, yet the government and the police remain deaf, blind, dumb, completely indifferent; self-contented in their “do-nothingism”, exhibiting blatant disregard for the cries of the people. Michael Jackson is right, “they don’t really care about us!”
Overloading is pursued as if it were an Olympic gold medal. These buses are more often than not crammed, literal huge sardine tins on wheels in a race to the cemetery. It is common to see the “conductors” hanging out these wagons-of-death, i.e., when their buttocks are not in the faces of passengers; some drivers drinking Guinness and talking on their cell phones, all this while the buses are travelling at insane speeds. Civilized people can’t but conclude that there are no traffic laws in this country; the traffic police is but a sham; and the government is totally indifferent to the safety and security of citizens, knowingly and callously lending undeclared support to these mad men, as it keeps it eyes on the next general elections. The country does not matter; the safety of citizen is of no importance. These are all dispensable, if winning the next election so dictates!!
This madness is so all-consuming that the bus drivers have no regard whatsoever for other drivers and road users. The overtake anywhere and anytime!! Many other drivers can testify that were they not on constant high alert, this practice of dangerous overtaking by these buses would lead to numerous more fatalities on the roads. This too is regularly observed by uniformed traffic police, but these road hogs are not even cautioned. The only times these brainless, unschooled, uncultured, disrespectful and lawless miscreants face a mild reprimand, is when their hooliganism is caught on video and shared on social media, giving rise to societal demand that affirmative action be taken. Probably when a white tourist is knocked of his bicycle and killed, then our deaf, blind, and complicit government will act.
You would be right to argue that it is the responsibility of these drivers to observe the law and to be concerned with the safety and comfort of their passengers. The fact is, they don’t give a damn!! Consequently, it is the responsibility of the government and police to act, but they too are contemptuous of law and order, and don’t give a damn!! The former for presumed political advantage come next election; the latter, due to crippling laziness, indifference, negligence and incompetence. Their despise for law and order must be exposed and condemned!