Comments on: Minibus Operators: It’s Not Financially Viable

By: Ringmaster

Ringmaster — Thu, 14 Jan 2021 10:19:42 +0000

@ Joe. My point is with less demand for buses, that leaves them available to take the children to school. Or are they sitting idle at the depot while the drivers etc continue to get paid, and then taxpayers have to pay for minibuses as well? It seems Government costs continue to increase for no reason apart from the new “economic redistribution” stated by Minister Burch.

By: question

question — Wed, 13 Jan 2021 18:55:43 +0000

Fewer people take the bus than in the past because they are so unreliable. That’s what stopped me, for sure.

By: Toodle-oo

Toodle-oo — Wed, 13 Jan 2021 17:29:43 +0000

Pop into the Somerset Marketplace around 11 on a Sunday morning and see GP5 (I believe it is) parked outside while the minister is grocery shopping inside.
Let us not forget the unforgettable words of an ex PLP minister from an interview some years ago.
Q) What’s the best thing about being a minister ?
A) Um , er , de car !

By: Fisherman

Fisherman — Wed, 13 Jan 2021 14:58:01 +0000

Take your blinders off. I was at two cricket games in St. David’s over summer. Who drove up was the Premier and his children in GP1. Not on official business, came to eat, have a few slaps in de chops and left. No official business park ALL GP vehicles. That should save Gov’t money.

By: Joe Bloggs

Joe Bloggs — Wed, 13 Jan 2021 13:30:06 +0000

Premier David Saul did not have a GP car on a full-time basis. he continued to use his motorbike to get around on a daily basis.

By: Joe Bloggs

Joe Bloggs — Wed, 13 Jan 2021 11:02:12 +0000

“Before all this minibus involvement, buses took school children to school. Buses also took residents to work, and tourists to wherever they wanted. What has changed? ”

Few residents take the bus for various reasons (including social distancing), there are no tourists and there are many unemployed Bermudians. That’s what has changed.

By: Joe Bloggs

Joe Bloggs — Wed, 13 Jan 2021 11:00:06 +0000

The Government was not cheap when it rented space in a Front Street building owned by Zane DeSilva and his family

By: Question

Question — Wed, 13 Jan 2021 09:59:17 +0000

People who have worked and who have been successful. Bought a house, paid your mortgage, remained employed, stayed out of prison. They’re the people the government wants to destroy.

By: Gwiz

Gwiz — Wed, 13 Jan 2021 03:27:59 +0000

Give some work to the Taxi drivers. They miss the cruise ship season just as much as the mini buses not making much money. Lots of taxis parked daily at city hall hoping for work. Half a loaf is better then none at all. The struggle is real for lots of folk..

By: Now Ya Nice

Now Ya Nice — Tue, 12 Jan 2021 23:03:14 +0000

That cant be true -MPs using cars for private use. Only a few short years ago, TCD traffic enforcement officers were monitoring people in work vehicles taking children to school and calling those companies and threatening them with penalties and loss of of permit for dropping their kids off at schiol while on the way to work! So there is no way the government rule-malers would tell TCD to enforce rules against working taxpayers that they are breaking themselves, in vehicles paid for by those same taxpayers? Would they?

By: Now Ya Nice

Now Ya Nice — Tue, 12 Jan 2021 22:57:19 +0000

By: wahoo

wahoo — Tue, 12 Jan 2021 22:22:39 +0000

Well I bet they are not paying union dues.

By: Ringmaster

Ringmaster — Tue, 12 Jan 2021 21:23:19 +0000

Before all this minibus involvement, buses took school children to school. Buses also took residents to work, and tourists to wherever they wanted. What has changed? The PLP has been in power for 20 years so this is not new, but like garbage collection that used to be twice a week has become once a week if you’re lucky. Same number of people but half the work. Odd that collection has quietly moved to the weekend too. Surely it’s not because weekends are double time?

By: Bus Rider

Bus Rider — Tue, 12 Jan 2021 21:14:31 +0000

Don’t Give in, Mini Busses, Gov’t is very cheap. They are sending a clear message to families with children, workers trying to get to work who even work for Gov’t, the elderly, the Tourists, and the general Population, WE DON’T CARE!
Don’t Mess with the Children! This Bus Debacle has been going on for years and needs to stop! This is sickening.
Government’s pants continue to be down.
There is money on this island, however, would anybody step up to the plate? No. It’s not worth it. Gov’t is a fat , ghostly white elephant , out of control with it’s own fat and waste. It starts from the top down to the bosses. Like Trump, they shirk responsibility for their negligence and poor management. Sorry, the truth Hurts, and many members of the public will have to swallow all these Gov’t mistakes . Now , tax the rents, and bleed us more, we tenants will be paying for that tax. Sugar Tax was NOT enough, obviously! Back to the days of Robin Hood. One coin left.

By: sandgrownan

sandgrownan — Tue, 12 Jan 2021 20:21:28 +0000

This is entirely on the PLP. It’s their fault we are broke, they own this, they need to take responsibility.

To blame the BMA is disgraceful. Shame on them.

By: Fisherman

Fisherman — Tue, 12 Jan 2021 20:14:23 +0000

MP’s take their k8ds to n from school, practices after school, weekend events in GP cars. They operate a GP car for 210.00 per week. Dey dun care bowt you lot n your kids.

By: Joe Bloggs

Joe Bloggs — Tue, 12 Jan 2021 19:28:29 +0000

By “overheads” to you mean taxes?

By: Joe Bloggs

Joe Bloggs — Tue, 12 Jan 2021 19:27:27 +0000

As Lt. Col. Burch said, the Government is redistributing wealth and those with “historic wealth” will continue to be disappointed.

By: Jack Archer

Jack Archer — Tue, 12 Jan 2021 18:40:13 +0000

I’m on the side of the mini bus guys – they have a lot of overheads to deal with

By: wahoo

wahoo — Tue, 12 Jan 2021 18:33:27 +0000

Yet we can pay an MP Front street rent.

By: I have the solution

I have the solution — Tue, 12 Jan 2021 18:29:34 +0000

Drive your children to school yourselves like I had to do in my day! Seriously? Government is not accountable for driving your kids you lazy people! I drive my 2 kids for over 20 years to different schools and I worked 2 jobs – so you can do the same!

By: Really

Really — Tue, 12 Jan 2021 18:25:40 +0000

Get back at the table.

By: Cann

Cann — Tue, 12 Jan 2021 18:25:01 +0000

The truth will come out…trust and believe

By: Ninja

Ninja — Tue, 12 Jan 2021 18:22:25 +0000

You are absolutely correct

By: Joe Bloggs

Joe Bloggs — Tue, 12 Jan 2021 18:04:06 +0000

“The Government can only offer the BMA what is reasonable to meet their operational needs. Most importantly, without the support and sacrifice of the BMA, the DPT is unable to provide the full public bus schedule and must prioritize its services by ensuring a reliable school bus service so that students continue receiving their education.”

So it is the BMA’s fault that “the DPT is unable to provide the full public bus schedule”?

And how does Government know what is “reasonable to meet their operational needs” in relation to private businesses? Did those businesses open their books to Government?

I find it incredible that our Government would try to blame the BMA for the Government’s own failing

By: Smith

Smith — Tue, 12 Jan 2021 17:52:01 +0000

Govt needs to just pay the minibuses and take care of the children! Parents could lose jobs over this! Our children’s safety and passage is more important than anything so pay the minibuses the money! They are not asking for anything outrageous! What has govt spent on buses? Nothing!?