PSVs’ disorderly conduct tops police traffic concerns

Disorderly conduct and non-compliance by public service vehicle (PSV) operators are the most serious traffic problems facing the police, with hotspots at Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Warrens requiring constant officer supervision to prevent gridlock and accidents, senior officers disclosed on Wednesday.

They told reporters at a press conference at the Police Command Centre at District ‘A’ Police Station, that the behaviour of some PSV workers has become a major concern. Industry representatives acknowledged that the problem has been systemic for many years.

Inspector Anthony Cadogan of the Traffic Division said the most persistent challenges come from ‘ZR’ route taxis, whom he described as routinely defiant.

“The ZRs are very non-compliant and disrespectful. That is one of the chief offenders they encounter on the road,” he said, noting that private motorists generally follow instructions once officers explain the requirements, such as carrying a valid driver’s licence.

He said the culture within some segments of the industry has normalised unlawful behaviour. “All routes. It’s a culture. [It is as if] you have to be able to break the law to drive a ZR,” he said.

Officials did not provide statistics on PSV reports, but Insp Cadogan explained that offending operators are summoned to court, and vehicles are inspected and escorted to the Ministry of Transport and Works.

“We do a general inspection, and if they don’t have the fire extinguisher or certain things are not right in the vehicle, it’s taken off the road,” he said.

Insp Cadogan listed inappropriate attire and reckless road conduct as daily flashpoints. “Let me start with inappropriate dress. The slippers and short pants. And then the congested roads by parking and picking up other than in the designated area. Look at the hospital. You should be familiar with the back of the hospital. You’re in the right lane to turn right, but you want to go left, but they have the left lane blocked up like it’s a bus stand,” he said, adding that such manoeuvres can easily cause accidents.

He said officers have to “babysit” chronic hotspots such as the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Warrens, where PSV operators continue to park illegally in clusters. “That’s the main issue with them and inappropriately attired,” he said.

In response, Craig Banfield, director of complaints and legal affairs at the Alliance Owners of Public Transport, acknowledged the legitimacy of the complaints and said the behaviour has persisted for years.

“We have been having those complaints from back in the hospital for quite some time. You tend to find that when the police is in the area, everything flows. But from the time the police rise off, it comes right back into the congestion and the traffic and all sorts of things that happen down there,” he said.

Banfield stressed that the association does not condone the conduct. “We have always said that we believe that the public service sector should follow the rules and laws of our areas. And it is very unfortunate that these guys have gone and decided they’re congregating right in the back of the hospital.”

He said APTO intervenes when its own members misbehave, but many PSV operators do not belong to the association.

“Not everybody is our member. And as such, we can only control those persons who are our members. If we are in that area and we see our members doing the same thing, we contact them and let them know how we feel about the issue. But there are a lot of guys out there that are not our members and we have no control,” he said. “We all do know that it’s wrong. And they should try then to abide by the laws.”

APTO chairman Roy Raphael also pointed to long-standing structural flaws in the transport system that contribute to congestion and poor behaviour. He recalled that the former bus stand near the Empire Theatre once accommodated about 400 buses serving routes such as Silver Sands and Silver Hill, but when those services were moved to the main terminal [River] the volume created unavoidable gridlock.

“Silver Sands alone has over 300 vehicles on that route,” he said. “Any given day that you have to have all of those buses coming to the terminal, you’ve got problems.”

Raphael said the Transport Authority attempted to ease the pressure by allowing some operators to run a “city circle” without entering the terminal, but many were not in uniform and were stopping and blocking traffic, which triggered complaints from operators on the Silver Hill and Silver Sands routes.

He argued that the deeper issue is the split between the Transport Board and the PSV industry, which operate under separate governance structures. He suggested that only a unified mass transit authority could resolve the longstanding weaknesses. (SZB)