Dear Editor,

Bus and taxi drivers are disgruntled over what they see as unfair targeting by the police and transport authority. The public operators say that the police will issue them four and up to even seven tickets totalling over $25,000 in one stop. They are calling on the Government to have mercy on them and grant them a ticket amnesty.

The truth be told, bus and taxi operators offer a valid service on the island transporting children and adults alike, it is impossible to do without them.

However, the irony of the situation is that the behaviour of the operators is the very reason they are in this predicament.

There is no telling what ordinary motorists would survive if it were not for the police. The operators wreak havoc, especially at peak hours — taking over the soft shoulders, driving through red lights, and causing multiple near misses.

To say the operators have no regard for the law would be a gross understatement. The myriad tickets they rack up is evidence of their indiscipline and police victimisation.

We often hear the representative of the taxi association lobbying for amnesty and mercy for his members, but what about telling them to be considerate of others? What about telling them to obey the law? The associations should be lobbying for areas for taxis and buses to park, better roads, and a transport system that will allow private motorist to park their vehicles and take public transport. They should be pressing the authorities to provide adequate protection against dons and extortionist who prey on their members.

The operators are worried that the traffic court judges may confiscate their licence, but if tickets equal deducted points, why should an operator with 800 tickets still have a licence?

The last amnesty was testament that the operators have no intention of obeying the rules of the road. The cost of the volume of unpaid tickets the bus and taxi operators had outstanding could have funded the super lotto.

It is agreed that the Government should be considerate of the operators and the operators should be considerate of other motorist.

Hezekan Bolton

h_e_z_e@hotmail.com