THE Transport Authority is set to wage war on owners of buses with offensive names and is considering regulating the process whereby names would have to first be submitted to the authority for approval.

According to managing director Keith Goodison, the authority has been bombarded with complaints from members of the public regarding some of the markings on buses. He said it’s time the authority clamp down on these buses.

“Some of them are repulsive and some of them are just not in keeping with good behaviour,” said Goodison.

“We have been removing the names off the buses. This is a part of a playing field being established and the rules being given to owners of buses and drivers and conductors,” he added.

Meanwhile, Goodison, who was speaking at Thursday’s launch of the National Transport Co-operative Society’s (NTCS) new logo at the Hotel Four Seasons in Kingston, told the Observer that the authority is exercising zero tolerance for buses with loud sound systems and those that are heavily tinted. He said the authority had begun a campaign to remove such sound systems from buses and have intensified the programme since the beginning of the new school year last month.

He said the authority has prepared a brochure with information about its regulations which include appropriate attire for drivers and conductors.

“They are required to wear uniforms, they have badges so all these things we are trying to ensure that they (regulations) are widely understood,” Goodison explained.

The authority, he said, has held a number of hearings with bus owners based on a number of complaints.

“When we receive a call about a person acting in a (certain) manner, we bring the owner in for a hearing and when those hearings become too frequent, we move towards recommending suspension of licence,” he said.

He was, however, unable to say how many licences have been suspended since the beginning of the year, but said at least 50 meetings were held with bus owners since September.

On Thursday, the NTCS launched a new logo that will allow passengers to easily distinguish its 125 buses from others operating in the corporate area.

President and CEO Ezroy Millwood expressed hopes that the new logo will reduce the flak his company has been receiving from members of the public.

“It has been carefully worked out and we are hoping that it will cut out a lot of the skullduggery that is taking place out there. If I get 20 complaints, sometimes one or two of the buses are (actually) NTCS buses,” he said.

“We are hoping that people will wear the logo and then because they know that they are being watched, that will improve their whole mannerism and conduct on the street,” he added.

Once the logo, which is in the form of a sticker, is affixed to a bus, Millwood said it would be extremely difficult to remove or else it will be totally destroyed.

He said owners will have to pay for the stickers but that costing was not yet worked out.

“Every sticker has a number that corresponds with the owner’s name, address and registration,” Millwood said.