Serious adequate response needed to induct Port Moresby bus drivers

Yesterday, police in Port Moresby went to their social media page and appealed to bus owners to educate their drivers about road safety.

This came about as a result of a bus with crashing with a semi trailer along the busy Waigani Drive at Stop and Shop, Waigani Central.

See picture below

The following notice was then put up by police on their social media page:

TOK LUKAUT IGO PAS LONG OL PMV DRAIVA NA BOS KRU:

"Sapos yu wanpla papa or mama bilong PMV bas, yu mas harim gut dispela toksave.

Yu mas toksave long draiva na bos kru bilong yu, long lukautim gut laip bilong ol yet na bilong ol pasindia, taem oli draiv insait long siti.

Wanpla eksident ibin kamap tete klostu long Waigani Stop 'N' Shop, bas stop, bikos draiva ino draiv gut na kamapim displa birua.

Plis tingim laip bilong yu yet na bilong ol narapla man or meri husat kalap insaet long PMV bas."

National Capital District Commission, National Road Safety Authority and Police traffic must now develop a new policy to curb the lawlessness that the bus drivers have been more like law unto themselves.

They are road traffic hazards to other road users and the passengers they carry.

Set conditions that

• All bus drivers will have to undergo a two weeks induction on road safety rules and traffic rules before they can be issues a certified pass to operate as a bus driver in Port Moresby
• They must carry this pass all the time with their licence when they operate
• The 'bos kru' must also under the two weeks training which can be run quarterly in a year

Issues that road users notice from the bus drivers today are

• Double parking
• Picking and dropping passengers at middle of roads holding traffic, not using bus stops
• Speeding using inside lanes and wanting to cross abruptly to outside lane bus stop
• Queue jumping from outside walkways or by passes like the one from Waigani Central to freeway. They cut in near the tunnel after raging through the by pass.

While we try and appeal to owners of buses, the onus is on police traffic to adequately enforce rules or laws.

A communications strategy and plan must be activated and communicated to these people who seem to think there is no law.

If we missed a generation, that is a big issue trying to get them back in line and we are stressed with issues.

The police department must ensure there is budget for education and awareness every year.

Essentially I agree, we need to get our drivers inducted to comply with traffic or road safety rules.