PTSC must provide more reliable service

On October 7, I arrived at around 12.50 pm to take the Arima all-stop bus. Passengers were already boarding but when I looked carefully, I realised that a 30-seater bus had been sent to pick up about 45 passengers.

Anyway, I went to the limited stop line and an articulated bus came around 1.25 pm. I went to the back of the bus. I pressed the bell once, right after the Aranguez Savannah, to come off in Mt Lambert, which is a genuine stop on the limited bus. The driver refused to stop. I pressed the bell again, hoping he would stop at Carib. The bus sped past that stop as well. I pressed the bell a third time and the bus finally stopped at SBCS in Champs Fleurs.

I asked the driver if he did not hear the bell ring for the Mt Lambert stop. His response was that he heard the bell ring 50 times. Other passengers may have rung the bell as well but one does not always hear it from the back.

I then had to spend an additional $4 via maxi-taxi to go back because I had packages in both hands plus a heavy backpack. In addition, I was not not feeling too well that day.

What if it were very senior citizens or a physically challenged person on that bus? What would have been their position because of an uncaring driver? I have already let the PTS C general manager’s office know that I am going to present myself sometime this week to get my $4 back, which I had to needlessly spend in this guava season.

The previous day, I arrived at the Arima all-stop line around 11.45 am to get the noon bus. It never came.

One waiting passenger noticed that PTS C had brand new 4x4 pickups for its staff but could not send a bus for its customers at noon.

For an hour and seven minutes there was no announcement as to the status of the noon bus. The next bus arrived at 12.52 pm and, thankfully, was driven by the ever punctual and reliable Michael Haywood.

Paying passengers just had to suck salt and wait.

I put the blame for this terrible service and inefficiency squarely at the feet of the board and management of PTS C and, more so, the operations manager and dispatchers.

These people should get out of their fancy air-conditioned offices and go downstairs and see the suffering of their customers. What are they collecting a salary for doing? Also, what do those so-called customer service people do in their air-conditioned offices downstairs? They are usually very clueless as to what is happening and many times have no idea when a bus will arrive.

Why is taxpayers’ money being wasted in this area? Finally, there is the issue of PTS C employees sitting in buses while paying passengers have to stand.

The reverse should be the norm.

With taxi fares about to raise, there will be a greater demand for buses. If PTS C cannot provide a reliable service for existing customers, what will it do when more people start taking the bus?

Linus F Didier Mt Hope