A video circulating on social media showing students from a rural high school in an overloaded route taxi has been dismissed as “old video” by the Chairman of the Alliance Owners of Public Transport (AOPT) Roy Raphael who appeal for a stop to the spread of video that places public service vehicle operators in a negative light.
Raphael said a full investigation was launched following an influx of calls from members of the public to AOPT’s hotline regarding the nine-second video where students can be seen rushing into the ‘ZR’ van which was already packed to capacity while obscene language is heard in the background,
No evidence was found to show that that particular route taxi left Cheapside, The City, en route to Jackson on Thursday, he said.
Raphael declared: “The video to the best of our knowledge is an old video. We launched an investigation immediately and even by looking at the video, you would have noticed certain things in examining any particular van that would have travelled fitting that description, that there is no evidence to show that this happened recently. There is no evidence to show that that happened yesterday. And we are asking members of the public to see it as an old video.”
The chairman said that in recent years, the alliance has gone above and beyond to do what was necessary to uplift the image of the PSV industry. He said since the AOPT was formed in 2010, the reform programmes launched have led to a significant reduction in reports from members of the public about operators driving recklessly, going off route, and drinking and driving, among other issues.
He said: “We have seen fewer complaints. What I would like to do is to ask members of the public who continue to work along with us to encourage them to stop it. But at this stage, I would like people to know that as far as our investigations show this is an old video and we are treating it as that.”
Raphael said that because protocols to stop the spread of COVID-19 are still being followed, AOPT is encouraging members of the public not to overcrowd public service vehicles which are now operating at a 75 per cent capacity.
He added: “We have some concerns where we have noticed that one or two vehicles that are not public service vehicles, but what we call pirates, are still continuing to ply the route.
“We are concerned because with some of these guys trying to out beat the law. they are using the air-conditioning within the vehicles and I think that is a violation of the COVID-19 regulations.” (AH)
