Bus Service Delayed “Until Further Notice”
The bus service — which was scheduled to resume on a limited basis effective Monday, May 18 — “will be delayed until further notice.”
A Government spokesperson said, “The Department of Public Transportation [DPT] is advising the public that due to a Bermuda Industrial Union [BIU] meeting scheduled for 8:00 am tomorrow morning [18 May], the bus service which was recently announced to resume tomorrow will be delayed until further notice.
“The DPT apologises for any inconvenience this may cause and thanks the public for their patience.”
Time to privatize the public transport service. The BIU would rather destroy the country and shoot themselves in the foot than progress the country and make a wage. The Bermuda government needs to take a hard line with the BIU and take that unwieldy power away from them.
Let me guess… Can’t get their own way again right!??
And here we go! They should outlaw the unions! They are going to mess everything up!
They are not needed, As we have the Employment Act. This really boils down to whether Burt is a coward or not. For them to pull this nonsense when our county is in crisis, when shopworkers show up, when volunteers and medical workers show up, the BIU decided to stay home. This has to change. I bet Burt does not have what it takes to progress this country, by eliminating union powers to disrupt and withdraw labour Union definately should be there for representing employees at tribunals, and advising of rights and obligations, so I’m not talking about destroying the unions worth.
The BIU is a pain in the ass.
Time for the Government to lay down that “no work means no pay”. Close the service and give them $500 a week like the private sector people. Time to privatize the buses. It worked well when garbage was stopped. Use this opportunity to change the status quo on both and save Government and taxpayers money.
Unbelievable….you get paid full time to sit at home and the first day of work you hold a meeting?
Every time they refuse to work
They show us UBER is the way forward
Bet the premier already is considering seriously and also move to clean transport, ie smaller electric buses on routes, those buses are too big for Bermuda anyway barring cruise season DY but then that not happening
Until 2021
They r likely upset too at pay cut
Nurses, Grocery store personnel and national
secuierity were shown to be our real heroes
During this
And what are they paid for reg and OT? Lot less than bus drivers who fussed and whined the whole way while nurses put themselves at risk for the country
Perhaps drivers like many, feel it is still to early to bring buses back. Many people could be asymptomatic. My son was crushed to hear that the buses were not back today. Question have the buses been steam cleaned and or thoroughly scrubbed down, no slip, skip and miss stuff. Have missing seat cushions been replaced, if not,those seats painted?
PLP will bow down to them again like they always do. Nothing different from the past, all governments never have or had the balls to stand up to the unions. Privatize this service and call it a day, you lot are spending millions and can’t get it right.
The message sent , or lesson learned , in May of 1981 still rings clear in the minds of all who lived through it .
Both those who thought they won and sent government a message and those who know better .
Is it a coincidence that our cost of living has been spiraling ever since ? Can anyone remember what Sr David Gibbons said at the time about the demands ?
Here we have the tail wagging .the dog again but government will do nothing: they know the BIU, the People’s Campaign (strangely quiet now)
Who didn’t see that coming….Bermuda is hilarious
And the tail continues to wag the dog
Try the horrible obnoxious lady at tcd for your driving licence renewal
Lady I am paying your wages
Its called public transportion for a reason. Governments have an obligation to provide certain services in the interest of public good despite the fact that some services will operate at a loss. Privitizing public transportation in Bermuda will do one thing for sure. DRIVE UP THE COST OF THE FARE. Folk keep talking about making PTB private but in reality do you people think any one in the private sector would really want to take it on? The main deterrant in Bermuda that would make any one think twice is the operating cost. This isnt New York City, Bermuda is EXPENSIVE. Fuel, parts, wages etc etc are high. If monthly bus passes are now $70 and the service operates at a loss how much more will they have to increase under prvitization to firstly BREAK EVEN? And secondly to MAKE A PROFIT? Helloooo!!!!!!! If it then becomes so costly for passengers to ride PRIVATE TRANSPORTSTION people will find alternatives and this sooooooo great idea fails. AND we havent even touched on routes like Ord Road and Grotto Bay that will never be profitable routes! so what will happen? Will they be no longer serviced. HELLO!!!!!!!! So think before you start babbling on about privitization and stop talking like you use the service. BECAUSE YOU DONT!
I can tell you New York city subways and buses are not cheap either.
Run by the MTA and the prices are going up a sthey are chronically short of funds.
Heres an idea, why not slash the salaries or get rid of redundant positions? This is why privitization will work, we won’t have idiots in charge wasting money.
Sucks
I’m often frustrated by the union action in Bermuda, but in this case there was a missed step.
The resumption plan should have included a mandatory one day information session for all drivers before any bus service resumed.
Drivers need to understand the new safety rules, how these rules will protect the driver, and how they rules will be enforced. It should include medical experts who can discuss how the disease could spread on a bus, the trickiest contagion points, and what steps the service is taking to protect drivers and passengers (eg sanitizing buses between runs).
There should also be a discussion of whether drivers who have high blood pressure, diabetes, or are obese are at greater risk and whether the union should support reassigning them until the immediate danger has passed.
It’s completely reasonable for drivers to want to ensure it is safe for them to return to work for both themselves and their families.
When the bus drivers refused to help last month, The Premier launched a scathing criticism of them – yet it later transpired that they had no PPE, so who could blame them?
Did Zane come out too early about the plans – did they consult with the Union before making this public?
They have been sitting up for the last 6 weeks, getting paid and on the day they’re supposed to go back to work they pull this BS? This is absolutely ridiculous.
Before the far right commentators on here get a chance to ban the unions, I suggest they pause and think about the possible safety concerns that these bus drivers have. They are being asked to put their lives on the line….unlike those of you…. the far right….who seek to abolish the entity that is giving voice to the bus drivers concerns.
Ok, let’s say the reason they don’t want to go back is fear of germs on the buses. Serious suggestion here: how about they be responsible for the cleaning and disinfecting of their own bus? Obviously they would be paid to do this before/after their driving shift.
“If I want it done right, I will do it myself.” Worth a thought, no?
That said, why weren’t these bus drivers put to work cleaning and sprucing up the buses during the last 8 weeks that they were paid but not working??? Were they really just sitting on their butts at home doing nothing but collecting a paycheque?
Again, you are missing the point. Even if the drivers were to agree to clean down the interior of their own buses they still need PPE equipment to protect themselves while doing so. Put it another way, pretend one of these bus drivers is a family member of yours. Would you want your family to be exposed to real potential of death (beyond what would be expected when operating a bus/ motor vehicle?? Come on people….THINK!!
Unions love this. People sitting at home, paid by the state for doing nothing. Right now the unions are so happy they’re delirious.
The rest of us are worried about p i ssing away the future for our young people, who face decades of poverty because the unions won’t go back to work.
Teachers, Garbage collectors, bus drivers. Some of them don’t want to work.
How they have a meeting this morning without breaking the law? I thought we were banned from having gatherings of more than 10 people. I guess ‘safety concerns’ go out the window when it’s union meeting.
Wake up folks.
drivers are still getting paid.
dollars to donuts I bet 90% of you on here dont even rode the bus.
But 100% of them’s taxes are subsidizing it !
How are we to return to “normal” without public transport?
What is the state of health of our civil servants overall? I suspect the answer is not great.
They all are justifiably worried for their safety but many must bare the burden for their own state of health and subsequent willingness to serve. Government must ensure proper protection for the public and transport workers, no question but constant disruption of service helps no one but does disrupt our much needed recovery.
We on the other side wether in good health or not rely on public transportation to facilitate our ability to do what we need to do in order to shop, attend work, or all those other journeys that one needs to undertake.
There is a growing call to privatize public services and it will grow if the civil service is unwilling to do their duty.
No difference what party is in power, the public demands better service and deserves it.
Question: all the BIU dues coming out does the members who are not working get anything back.
Havent heard them mention anything about that. Should of held meetings when the Hon Premiere announced the phases. Im in phase 4 and my job has made preperations already.