When NTA rules force bus drivers to speed : low floor buses penalised

The government is encouraging bus operators to invest in new low floor buses as part of its Bus Modernisation Programme. Unlike traditional buses like Isuzu, Hino, Ashok Leyland, the low floor buses like Yutong are not designed to speed on our roads. Moreover, by law, buses are not allowed to exceed 70 km per hour. It is interesting to note that most bus drivers are now becoming more and more conscious of road safety issues and are also improving their behaviour towards passengers, especially the elderly. Nowadays, buses give ample time to elderly passengers to embark and disembark safely. This however increases halting time at bus stops.

On some routes, especially in the north, the National Transport Authority has certain rules governing the operation of privately operated buses. For example, a bus must cover the journey from Immigration Square to SSRN Hospital in 25 minutes and the Port Louis-Goodlands trip in 65 minutes. If it is one minute late, it is penalised. The penalty consists of making the bus wait four hours before undertaking its next trip. This is one reason why bus drivers are forced to speed, to avoid such penalties. With such a penalty, a bus might be doing on average only one or two trips per day, and this implies serious loss of revenue for the owner. The driver is thus under enormous pressure to reach within the set time. This is why we often hear of drivers not giving time to passengers to sit or buses involving in accidents, often fatal ones. 

Now, with low floor buses, drivers cannot speed to make up for lost time, as these buses are not designed for speeding. Their pickup response is slow, and our road conditions do not allow them to move faster. Imagine for example how long it takes a bus to cross Petit Raffray with its 16 speed humps! Also, operators having invested heavily on these new buses, drivers do not drive them recklessly. Unfortunately, these low floor buses are being penalised almost daily because they are unable to complete their journey within the time frame set by the NTA.

It so happens that low floor buses are being forced to sit idle the whole day, thus depriving passengers the opportunity to travel in comfort and style. What is the purpose of a Bus Modernisation Programme then, if passengers are being denied the comfort they deserve?

It is up to the NTA to review this obsolete rule that is a major cause of accidents involving buses. Funny how on one side the authorities want to make our roads safer in the wake of increasing number of accidents, and on the other, such rules exist! Hon Nandcoomar Bodha should intervene urgently. This stupid rule is also a deterrent to the renewal of fleet as bus operators would prefer to run their existing buses rather than buying low floor ones.