By: Spokesman Newsroom
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (Thursday 10th June 2021) — West Line Bus Association President Nicholson ‘Rambo’ Webster says the confusion over the government’s 50% bus capacity measure — which lasted over a week before being cleared up — could have been avoided had bus associations been invited to nominate representatives to the transportation board, as they should have been. “We have a situation since January where they formed a new transportation board last year. The bus associations was never invited to nominate its members. That was not done,” Webster said on Freedom FM’s ‘Issues’ programme on Wednesday 9th June.
The confusion arose because buses differ in seating capacity — some 14-seaters, some 15 — so “half capacity” was unclear, with different authorities giving different answers for over a week. The clarity eventually settled at 9 passengers for a 15-seater. Webster said that proper consultation would have yielded the correct formula of two passengers per row and one in the front, without the confusion. As of the time of the interview, he had not received any calls to sit down and discuss a way forward. “When you who is telling people out there to do the right thing are not doing the right thing to consult with the folks — that speaks volumes,” he said.