Better bus service needed for Five Rivers

THE EDITOR: I am a regular user of the service provided by PTSC. However, I, along with the travelling public of the Five Rivers area, have been experiencing severe hardship and difficulty due to the shoddy treatment which is meted out to us the subscribers of the Five Rivers route. Far too often we are forced to wait for inordinately long periods, in excess of one hour, before we get a bus to take us to our respective places of work and schools, which are in Port-of-Spain and its environs. When we do get a bus, most of the seats are taken so we have to stand.

Many commuters leave the long queues in disgust, and with bus tickets in hand, board maxi taxis which are happily plying for hire. Sir, I have complained verbally on numerous occasions, by phone and in person. The fact that I am doing so again, this time in writing is an indication of the disdain and contempt in which PTSC holds its customers. Following discontinuation of the travel cards to the Five Rivers area (we must now purchase tickets for Arima at additional cost), is cessation of the Five Rivers service your next step in the apparent trend to alienate and discourage residents of Five Rivers/Trincity from travelling by bus?

By extension this also includes school children. Buses coming from Sangre Grande seldom take up passengers at the Five Rivers stop. Although there are vacant seats and standing room on the bus from Maloney the bus driver never takes up passengers at Five Rivers. We stand and watch as buses speed past, full to capacity. Thank God for the Piarco buses which seem to be the only dependable aspect of the bus service. Were it not for these buses many more of us would simply turn around and head for our homes, as one commuter did last week. This is the situation as it exists on mornings - it is simply reversed in the afternoons.

This aggravating and unsatisfactory situation must be rectified. Commuters must tender prepaid tickets as money is not collected on the buses. Having purchased PTSC tickets we are forced to source additional funds to travel by maxi taxi when PTSC frequently fails us. I have not even addressed the matter of time as PTSC seems to be unaware that most work places and schools begin operations at 8 am. Please PTSC begin by reviewing your name Public Transport Service Corporation. It’s time to provide the service instead of the disservice we commuters are forced to endure. We choose to travel by bus not maxi taxis. It’s time to put your business in order and live up to your motto of “driving for excellence.” Disgusted and fed up commuter.

ALICIA BILLINGY
Trincity