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August 28, 2007
Bus driver shortage - so what?
Yesterday's headline in The Star "Bus firms face driver shortage, warn of Raya crunch" threw open a couple of question from my side.
According to the newspaper, bus companies start to face a bus driver shortage and it seems as if the bus companies blame the current crackdown on errant drivers for this shortage.
Apparently "some drivers have gone AWOL for fear of being caught by the authorities for various offences, resulting in several bus companies having to cancel trips." "Konsortium Express Penang manager Albert Chew said his company was having problems getting replacement drivers after 20 of its 140 drivers went missing."
If it wouldn't be so sad, I would fall down my chair laughing. Seriously. I mean, look, I believe that there is no one in this country that prefers to take off from the bus station on time with a bus driver that is on drugs or totally tired and worn out. Even if it means that a trip is cancelled, or totally delayed.
Isn't it more a matter of hiring the right staff, training them up, giving them enough time to rest, and paying them appropriately? Reading all the stories in the newspapers after all the recent accidents, it appears that bus drivers are paid peanuts, work extremely long hours, and drive totally rodden busses, at least part of the time.
Thus, my advise is to go after the bus firms when something goes haywire. Catching the little guy is easier, but in the end, it really is the firm that is responsible for it.
Posted by Andreas at August 28, 2007 05:35 PM
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