The daily incidence of fender benders on the city streets has become almost too routine for those of us navigating the narrow streets of the Old Capital. Today however, the fender bender between two city buses at around 10:30 this morning brought to light the need for better traffic enforcement. And as Jim McFadzean reports, the incident was an illustration of the mass transit mayhem that occurs on the highways and byways every day.
Jim McFadzean Reporting,
The accident took place on one of the busiest days for vehicular traffic as today, Thursday saw the arrival of the usual number of cruise lines to the city’s shores. The vehicles involved were two city buses owned by Carlos Lopez and the Novelo’s Brothers. Their regular runs through the Port Loyola and West Landivar routes have apparently been a major source for contention as both competing lines jostle for passengers.
Paul Ferguson, Lopez City Shuttle Driver
“Well what happened I was coming West Landivar and I saw a Metro Bus coming the opposite direction going towards St. John’s and when the Metro
Bus saw me coming out of West Landivar, he made a dash to try to make a turn at the campus corner. He dropped his passenger off at the Campus Corner and turned in front of me. I stayed there for about five minutes and then I took off and then while at HL’s he pulled to the side, I pulled behind him, picked up a passenger, and upon taking off he took off with me. I came around the roundabout, I was coming around the roundabout, and upon reaching he tried to overtake me on the side. If you see where my wheel stands now on the curve and he collided into my bus. It is something that has been going on for a long time. I am asking, I just ask everybody to intervene.”
The minor collision between the two city buses created a nightmare for vehicular traffic trying to make way through one of the city’s main arteries. According to the councillor charged with the management of the city’s free flow of traffic, the buses in question have been in the past operating unregulated.
Wayne Usher, City Councillor
“It is a coincidence that that accident happened today and that you
are interviewing me today. It is a coincidence because two weeks ago myself, my traffic manager, and my administrative assistant went, we went to the media, we went on Krem Radio and TV and we went on Love FM and we told the public on those media that we are going to do this to regulate. So what happened today is just a coincidence.”
If one was to believe the councillor on the impending new set of regulations, then problem solved! The riot act to be read to both bus lines is forthcoming, according to Usher.
Wayne Usher,
“We have already put in train how we are going to do it. All the bus routes will now be read to those who are to travel on those routes only and so the matter of trying to compete on other people’s route will no longer happen.”
Reporting for Seven News, Jim McFadzean.
According to Usher, the council is currently reviewing two additional applications for licenses to operate a city shuttle in the city.
