And while the independent bus operators say their backs are against the wall, the government-run National Bus Company has not even passed its probationary period and videos are surfacing from mechanic yards where an excessive amount of buses are parked and in need of repairs - mostly NBC buses.
With runs being cut and passengers becoming increasingly agitated, this is not a good sign for the nascent public-private partnership. Jones said that some members are already expressing their frustration to him:
Phillip Jones, President, BBA
"Those are videos sent by some of the personnel from the company because they are still saying that they are not being paid their severance, they are not being paid their vacation pay, they are not being paid time of service."
"So there is no, as what we have understood, that there is no mechanic in any district working. So hence the reason why they had to outsource their servicing of equipment. And what they are saying, that those are the busses that were purchased."
"And hence the reason why runs are being cut on a daily basis, accident is being happened because workers' morale is at all-time low. Some of the workers say, well, man, well, the way the NBC management and the minister speak, that everything would have been golden, but quite the contrary, right?"
Reporter
"So are those buses that need to be fixed?"
Phillip Jones, President, BBA
"Of course, of course. And that's just what was shared by the members that shared to me. And I like, I was, I know these buses were running. I don't know what happened."
"But it just goes to show this is not an easy industry. And you need people, technical people, that knows the intricacy of the day-to-day operation. It's a very challenging one. Many people would say, well, why do you still stay in the business? Or why the operators never go to something else? Majority of the operators, they are farmers that are in the industry. And many of them, if not all, hold on to say, okay, then is coming to save the industry and save us and things will get better."
"But they feel quite the contrary."
We'll keep following the story.
