Damaged Bus seat

Members of the Eastern Main Road Bus Transport Association are said to be fed up with students particularly from Westerhall Secondary School (WSS) who they believe are damaging the interior of their busses.

According to President of the Association, Jude Lett,  approximately six (6) busses per week are damaged by the students through acts of vandalism. He said that the busmen not only have to contend with the additional cost of having to replace their upholstery but on many occasion the students refuse to pay the bus fares.

He also complained about the scandalous love-making on the buses, as well as the use of obscene language from some of the students. Other drivers and conductors on the island say that while  students from the St David's Secondary School and New Life Organisation (St David's) are also guilty of the offence, the majority of the culprits are students from Westerhall Secondary School.

Lett disclosed that the association has written to the Principal of WSS expressing their concerns about the situation but never received a reply. He said the body has once again written to the school in order to get some help in dealing with the problems.

The letter, dated February 20 reads as follows:

The Executive body of the above association has received numerous complaints from the bus operators on the Zone Two (2) route, in which your school is located.

We know it is very difficult at times to deal with certain problems and at the same time coping with it. We are therefore soliciting your assistance in helping to deal with some of the complaints listed:

(1) Obscene language and reckless love making on the buses in the presence of adult passengers

(2) Endangering themselves by putting their heads, hands and even up to their chests out through the windows while the bus is in motion

(3) Damaging the interior of the busses, the upholstery, ink on the seats, cutting the seats etc

(4) After school they do not want to use the sides, they use obscenities to the other road users when they are asked to walk on the side

(5) Some students do not pay the fare on arrival at the terminal, as they run off towards the back of the buses.

"As you look through the windows of your office just around the time for dismissal every day you will notice a number of buses waiting to take the children home,  I am sure this makes you happy, we are happy too.

However, we do not want it to get worse, we suggest that in one of your General Assembly to address those issues for us or even better invite us to come in with a member from the (R.G.P.F.) Traffic Dept to educate the students on the matters raised and some road safety tips. While you teach them, we transport them."

Several of the bus drivers have indicated that they will take action against the students if they catch them red-handed damaging their property since it costs them between $1400 -$1800 to replace the upholstery in their buses.

Principal of the School, Winifred Foster, refused to comment on the matter.