Three minivans were involved in an accident in Layou about 10 a.m. Saturday, which resulted in two of them going over an embankment.
Police in Layou did not disclose any information about the accident when iWitness News visited on Saturday.
We were directed to the Police Public Relations Department — which is closed until Monday morning — and told that only the Commissioner of Police or his nominee can disclose information about police investigations.
iWitness News understands that two of the minibuses ply the Kingstown-Layou route, while the third travels between Kingstown and North Leeward.
Reports are that at least one passenger suffered a broken leg and was taken to hospital.
And the Prime Minister believes – he said so – that his increased vehicle taxes is going to stop this sort of thing – and road deaths too. That’s the reason for tax increase. He said so. Right in Parliament.
He also said that jobs are created by raising taxes. Ralph is an intelligent guy, he just thinks the rest of us are stupid….unfortunately some of his “tax wisdom” appears to be believed by around half the population….people that unknowingly vote for their own poverty….The apple did not fall far from the tree, if you see what Camillo, (our next PM in a few years) has been saying lately.
Patrick, if this accident had taken place in the heart of Layou, there could have been several deaths.
The only salvation is that there has to have been two or three write-offs so some wild vans drivers are off the road for a while.
The bus drivers are setting a very bad example. So maybe it was one bus driver overtaking another but ran into the third coming the other way? They need to slow down, and maybe the government has to change how they get paid to slow them down. They drink while they’re driving, not much, and they know the roads like the back of their hand, but they have to slow down. The payment shouldn’t be how many passengers they carry, but the service they provide. Try and get a bus from north leeward or north windward. There aren’t any. They aren’t leaving town until they have a full bus, so they don’t travel back. The bus system is subsidized so it’s really cheap, but it’s time the rules were changed, so there actually is service to north leeward and windward, and it doesn’t matter how fast you get there or how many people you are carrying.
The bus system is certainly not subsidized.
Anyone who commutes in the St. George area would tell you about the reckless Drivers and vans known as “Topper,” “Krap,” “Busta,” “Beats” et al, and the many reports made to the police, yet accident after accident, they find their way back onto the race tracks for more lawless and disorderly conduct. There is even a video online (youtube) of the yellow van (“Topper”) recklessly racing the red one (“Krap”) packed with school children.
I see all the time these vans breaking traffic laws in the midst of police and it seems they are above the law. They stop anywhere regardless of designated bus stops, turn around in the road such as areas of Mariner’s Hotel and Murray’s Road, play the loudest music, driver and conductor especially on Friday evenings perform their duties with Guinness and or beer in hand, race side by side and overtake around corners, curse you with the most offensive language if you don’t give way to them, use special blast horns for extended periods, and carry so many passengers in excess of the legal limit that the conductor cannot sit and instead hangs his rear end out the window , One has to wonder if these vans are owned by police since the police appear to be doing absolutely nothing!
God help you if they collide with you as it is well know both driver and conductor typically react with the threat of beating you up with a wheel spanner.
A good source tells me the Points system for penalizing offenders was approved by the police and given to cabinet years ago, yet still not implemented. What are we waiting for – more deaths to warrant effective policing and implementation of fit for purpose laws and penalties?
Welcome to St.Vincent – a country of men where minibus drivers own the roads!
It will be interesting to see if any of the drivers are in fact police.
Every citizen has seen buss’s being driven recklessly or without due care and attention at speeds that are little more than attempted murder of the passengers, other road users and pedestrians.
I ave seen van drivers throwing plastic bottles and food containers out of the vans drivers window which suggests to me that they are eating whilst they are driving recklessly.
My friend told me he saw a bus driver swigging a Guinness whilst filling up with fuel at the gas station.
Bus drivers are out of control and need reigning in with licences that can be easily withdrawn for any conviction for speeding or dangerous driving which is in fact one of the same things. Of course that will take a stricter policy by police officers and vehicle with video recorders to use as evidence.
The old loud music problem is back again, the police cannot even get on top of that.