Bus controls hurting
bus drivers in pocket
~ Association welcomes controls, wants it across the board ~
PHILIPSBURG--The stepped-up police controls on vehicles that began two weeks ago is affecting drivers where it hurts most – their pockets.
Bus drivers have complained to the Bus Drivers Association that they have noticed a decline in the number of persons travelling during periods when police controls are taking place. The drivers believe that passengers, who are likely undocumented, are apprehensive about using the public transportation system out of fear that they would be picked up. This directly affects their income, bus drivers argue.
Bus Association Public Relations Officer (PRO) Changa Hickinson said while the controls are welcomed, it is negatively affecting bus drivers.
“Whenever there are controls our revenues decline, but we are willing to live with the decline if there is betterment of the industry,” said Hickinson Tuesday. “There is the culture of fear. If people are undocumented and they are in a bus on their way to work and there is police control on the road, they will be frightened out of their wits and might even (flee).”
Hickinson called for controls to be carried out across the board and not targeting any specific sector as he said is the case. “We would appreciate if the police would not specifically target our form of business. We have never seen them go into WIB (Windward Islands Bank) or ACE or specific establishments where they and the public know that they would find undocumented workers. They should not target public transportation or buses to mop up the illegal immigrants. To me, this is unfair because they don’t go into Le Grand Marché.”
However, on the flip side, Hickinson acknowledged that the controls do bear positive results. “It is positive in the sense that when there are controls, those involved in illegalities are forced to at least tone down their operation and this is positive. Some are caught and fined because public transportation needs to be controlled by the rules.”
