Minister: Minibuses To Provide Transportation
The Government has “implemented a contingency plan to provide public transportation services” and “has asked licensed minibuses to provide an alternative means of providing transportation.”
Minister of Transport Lawrence Scott said, “Although the Government supports labour, we must act to deliver expected public services while efforts continue towards resolving the current impasse. It is now nine consecutive days that the BIU work stoppage has inconvenienced the travelling public.
“These are trying times for everyone, and the added burden, not having transportation, adds additional stress and anxiety to those who rely on the public bus service.
“To alleviate the inconvenience caused by the withdrawal of labour, the Ministry has asked licensed minibuses to provide an alternative means of providing transportation. This public service is free of charge and will operate on the hour from 7 am to 7 pm on the core bus routes # 1, 3, 7, 8, 10 and 11. All minibuses will operate according to the Ministry of Health’s Guidance for Public Transportation.
“Minibuses will service the following core bus routes:
- Route 1 – Hamilton to Grotto Bay
- Route 3 – Hamilton to Grotto Bay
- Route 7 – Hamilton to Somerset
- Route 8 – Hamilton to Somerset
- Route 10 – Hamilton to St. George’s
- Route 11 – Hamilton to St. George’s
Additional route:
- Loop – St. George’s Bus Depot to Great Head Park, St. David’s
- Loop – Somerset Bus Depot to Clocktower Mall, Dockyard
Minister Scott concluded: “It is most unfortunate that we find ourselves at this point, but nine days into this dispute, we must act to help our residents who depend on public transportation to go about their day-to-day lives.”
Good first step. Now do you have balls to go further and shut DPT and start again.
Good. Private companies doing what government workers can’t do.
If government do back down and pay the “workers” for the time off the bill for the private bus service should be subtracted from the payment. We shall see.
I’m normally up on the news. But I can hardly bring myself to read these articles. But I forced myself to read this one. Enough is enough.
Vaccinations need to be mandatory for frontline workers or we are going to have no public services.
But what is the incentive to be vaccinated at this point, Covid just keeps spreading and spreading but folks get 14 days off every time they or a colleague contract the virus, 14 days with pay.
Premier Burt, show some leadership. Make vaccinations mandatory for essential service workers.
I guess in time when they can’t travel to the USA or Canada for a holiday they will get the jab. But not to save lives but to vacation!! Sad state of affairs really.
Mandatory? if you have the skills to force this King to put some thing in My Kingdom that I do not agree to then come try vaccinate me your self brother. I don’t need another child to tell me how to take care of My People build my Kingdom I am a King on this Earth and if you want to try me Brother it will be my Kingdom vs your Kingdom and we will see who has the correct understanding of Realty aka God
We are way behind on mandatory vaccines for public officers. Many public officers have gone off with full pay for 14 days just for being an alleged “close contact” while at work. If you have been a close contact that is because you refused to follow the rules of mask wearing and social distancing. There should be a penalty for this! We are nearly two years into this and failing fast.
“We are way behind on mandatory vaccines for public officers”?
Because our Constitution prohibits such things in the same way it prohibits imprisonment without trial and arbitrary arrest and detention.
Are you willing to undergo any medical treatment the Government (rather than a doctor) wants you to undergo?
ha! ha! Pay them the drivers wage, plus gas and service.
I applaud the government for this. Thank you so very much for not backing down to the union. This lets the union know that they are not going to hold Bermuda ransom. GET RID OF THE BIU.
I agree! I will give credit where credit is due – good job PLP, I’m impressed with your fortitude. Never thought I would pat you all on the back but credit is due in this situation.
Good job!!
Impressive.
Free of charge? False, just feel good Government speak. Maybe free of charge to the passengers, but the minibuses will want to be paid, and that means taxpayers paying. Are taxpayers also paying the bus drivers while they enjoy their strike, so paying twice?
this is not safe
Union busting by another name! It on!
Yeah, indeed it is, wonder if the work-shy tossers that occasionally drive buses will picket?
I am not a big fan of the former JetBlue gate agent but I applaud this move to help locals and tourists to move around the island. Taxis and Twizzys are expensive and,with the big NCL ships coming in, this will be a game changer.
so we will end up paying bus drivers, now we going to pay for this ,
well done all
In private industry when employees refuse to attend work without a lawful excuse it is called quitting, in Government it is called a “work stoppage”. Go figure.
First step to make Public transportation Private!!! EXCELLENT !!!!
Free buses? Is that because the general public have been inconvenienced in the past few weeks because of lack of transportation. I can understand the need for private buses to fill in for awhile but at a small cost. I guess its easier for the government to pay the drivers directly. Hope this all works out. As far as vaccinations go unless a law is decided and approved they cannot be mandatory. New York is now making health care workers mandatory getting the vac. Also now big business’s are also making their employees mandatory. Who knows whats best.
PAYING TWiCE FOR ONE TRANSPORT!!
The PlP will lose the next election and the OBA UBP trolls will be voted in because the people didn’t come out to vote. The OBAUBP term will be so bad that they will wish the PLP was still government because the devil is in the details.
buy a bike,good exercise….simple huh!
Let them stayout
for 3months then make bus service private