By Caribbean News Global contributor
CASTRIES, St Lucia – The bus strike by operators of Route 2H – [part and parcel of the island ‘private bus system’] accompanied by other associations Monday, ended with drivers, owners and operators returning to normalcy Wednesday, to much of the same.
The bus strike was in protest to either allow full capacity of 15 passengers (not 10 passengers as per COVID-19 protocols) get some form of compensation, or both – neither was accomplished.
Equal to previous flare-ups with farmers, fisherfolk, driving instructors, etc., the sophistry of an Allen Chastanet-led administration, emasculate minibus association presidents and so-called influencers of the industry to accept a ‘promise’ of a fee increase that commuters will bear and/or handouts that will not benefit [long-term – viability] of the current unsustainable ‘private bus system’ has effectively kicked the problem down the road towards self-destruction.
The Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) in a statement Wednesday, said: “While normal service has returned to the county’s passenger bus routes this does not absolve the government from being responsible for causing this crisis. It is unacceptable that, after almost ten months of agitation by the affected minibus operators, the government has failed to satisfactorily deal with the difficulties facing the minibus sector. It is also of great concern, that the prime minister and the minister of transport, indicated through their public pronouncements that they have no intention of sitting down soberly with those impacted to settle the issues.”
Minister for economic development, housing, urban renewal, transport and civil aviation, Guy Joseph, [a former bus driver and association president] described the protesting bus operators as ‘very unfortunate’ citing “every form of transport is affected in one way or another, (COVID-19 related) so, I don’t think the minibus sector is an exception,” albeit “the government is seeking to address the concerns of bus drivers some of whom went on strike Monday.”
Secretary of the Southern Minibus Association, Viani Jacob, rationalized that the protesting drivers had a ‘very good’ meeting with the National Council on Public Transportation (NCOPT), stating, “we had our differences but we came to a conclusion where we will go back to work. We have until January for negotiations so we can get what we’re looking for,” he said.
In a request for comment, a regional management consultant, said: “The current association model is not sustainable towards a feasible system to accessible movability, transportation networks, labour-productivity and national economic viability, absent of a corporation [ business ] model that network vehicle dealers, the petroleum company, spare parts, insurance company, drivers, public transportation operators/professionals, etc., and government to arrive at a truly national transportation system.”
St Lucia’s opposition leader ‘advance strategic outlook’ on COVID-19 validates early assessment
Political leader and leader of the opposition Philip J Pierre, previously made far-ranging proposals to tackle the economic issues impacting the various sectors of the economy, proposed fuel vouchers to minibus operators, totaling $3 million as a ‘stop-gap’ measure to the painful onset of COVID-19 pandemic.
As foreseen, Pierre is continuously accurate to the economic and social reality that has taken hold in Saint Lucia. Moreover, his critical and timely corrective measures to the domestic economy has escaped a Duckworth administration, governance, and business model, of steel and concrete.
“The government that does not listen does not know it all,” the SLP restated, “It is time to put the people of Saint Lucia first.”
“We, therefore, call on the government once again to use the US$ 29.2 million obtained from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for economic income support for COVID-19 to be reassigned to its original purpose. We also call for the repurposing of the loans being assigned to capital works that are of no pressing import to the social and economic interventions that are necessary at this time,” the SLP said in a statement.
St Lucia opposition leader determine to ‘put people at the center of economic policy’
