I am writing to ask for your assistance in using your platform to raise awareness about the urgent need for safer and more responsible driving among some minibus operators on our roads.
Recently, had a frightening experience while travelling in a minibus to Kingstown. As we approached the corner just before the Lowmans Leeward Cemetery, the driver attempted to overtake another vehicle near the bend at high speed, despite an oncoming vehicle being clearly visible.
I immediately expressed my concern, telling the driver, “You can’t be speeding like that, I am pregnant.” Another woman in the van was also visibly shaken and began speaking up.
Rather than acknowledge our concern, the driver stopped and asked if we wanted to get out. I did. I was trembling. It was terrifying to know that my safety and that of others was in the hands of someone driving so recklessly.
This isn’t just about one driver. It speaks to a larger issue of how some minibus operators are endangering lives with careless behaviour behind the wheel. I’m pleading with the relevant authorities and with your platform to send a strong message: we need safer driving on our roads, smarter decisions, and respect for the lives of passengers.
Thank you for your time and the important work you do in keeping the public informed.
Shaken Commuter
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These drivers keep trying to outrun other drivers to gain passengers, putting passengers’ lives in great danger. Senseless driving must be stopped! Maybe passengers should take note of the number plates of the vehicles of those speeding drivers and take them to the police. Then the police can issue warnings to these drivers. Hopefully this might help to some extent.
You’re absolutely correct. I sit in my porch and sometimes watch how some of these public vans race each other to get passengers, while endangering the lives of others. I’m honestly afraid to ride some of these vans.
I miss the older and more responsible drivers. I do believe that this issue needs to be addressed.
What is more troubling is that the authorities are doing nothing about it. Another serious problem is the damage that is being done to our hearing. I’m not sure if it’s because the authorities don’t use public transport, they need the busses for their campaign or they just dont care but voters needs to address these issues with the politicians.
I have had the same experience with these young drivers. They try to overtake other vehicles around corners and that’s a No! No! The road in Layou is a speed zone with the police saying and doing nothing when vehicles. I asked them to report the issue to the commissioner and they refuse. Meanwhile they have to rush or creep across the road to get to the police station when the exit on the left side of the road.
There must and should be speed signs at corners. This is one reason I believe Friday should sent the representatives to communities to see what effect issues have of the people’s life. It all talk and no action. These people (If the reclaim the government) will start talking garbage, just like Ralph because they believe they know what’s in the minds of Vincentians.
Look at Saboto: He had some good ideas of getting the youths involved in farming, but that’s it. He wasn’t given any funds or supports to get the idea going. Now Ralph is moving new people in to get them to support Baby Doc. The folks who are there presently will challenge Camillo and Ralph is removing those who can and will do that. He did the same thing when he removed Mike Brown and the some lawyer who showed signs of giving him some competition.
I have never witnessed more outrageously dangerous driving by mini bus drivers as I have seen since I arrived in this country. Personally, I have had several near misses with mini buses, some of which left me totally frozen in the middle of the street, unable to move for minutes and feeling that that could have been the end for me. This recklessness is so common here that you hardly hear anyone complain about it. I often compare these drivers as just another specie that fell from a tree far in the jungle with no awareness of how to conduct themselves for the greater good of their passengers and general public.
I agree with you lady, I’m an old man and I the same concern , I was traveling on a bus and the driver drove off before I was seated and I voice my frustration because I was hurting and the driver asked me if I wanted to get out, I didn’t.
Something needs to be done to address unsafe driving. Some passengers condone this behaviour and think its entertainment which is unacceptable… People’s lives are at risk. The government needs to step up and put some serious deterents in place for van drivers. It is not a good look for tourism in SVG!
My dear u did the right thing come out d van if was me I would do the same the drivers on the road hv know respect for ppl lives.
Its our culture we need to change. We have drivers as “norm” being passed alcohol by the public and conductors in the presence of passengers and we take it.
What foolishness are we allowing. A crack down is required but it starts with us the public to say NO!!! I value my life!!!
The mini van drivers are emulating our esteem leader and PM. They’ll destroy anything or anyone in their way to get/ stay ahead. Desperate measures for desperate people. Lawlessness run things here in Vincy.
Van drivers are considered to be the lowest of the low when it come to driving ethics. Last week i was traveling to Diamond and got into a van at Arnos Vale. The conductor told me that he is going to Georgetown , therefore he would leave at the Diamond gap and I will walk the rest since he described it as a five minutes walk and I agreed.
Twice I reminded him to leave me at the Diamond gap given that I told him that I am not familiar with the area. When I said to him don’t forget to leave me ,his response was that I was far away. I asked the question again and got the same response.
Eventually I saw a sign that says welcome to Georgetown. I said to him, did I not reminded you Twice to leave me at the Diamond gap? His response was my way down he would leave me at the Diamond gap. Since he broke the verbal agreement I should not have paid him when he dropped me off st the Diamond gap.
I decided to pay him nevertheless, the smallest change I had was a $20, he gave me back $5 saying I got a long ride. This was not the agreement though. I did not want to be killed as the innocent patron who lost his life at the bank.
This is what I am.speaking about , there is no formality in the Van driving business. Quite often, the bus conducts are not knowledgeable with respect to the history of the route they travel. They cannot tell you anything that is of historical value if asled. They are never required to sit a formal exams.
What is also unfortunate is that the vans are often overcrowded and the loud music played is deafening to the ear. It appears to me that Van driver or conductors have their own subculture of their own, they disobeyed the speed limits. The very subculture has no business or professional acumen. The system needs to be regulated to reflect a business and a professional environment.
As bad as the van drivers are there are plenty of reckless drivers on the roads.
Many times I have to dead stop in a corner just to avoid head-on collision when dumb driver over taking around corners.
Just plain dumb seems like there’s an unwritten rule in SVG that you must pass every vehicle in front of you.
Come on people SVG I a tiny place from one point to the other is less than 3 hours.
Sad things when you are driving carefully people call you crampy.
When there was less than a thousand vehicles in SVG You could have gone to the Police Traffic Departmend and observed on the Notice Board written in colored chalk Names of persons whose Drivers’ Licences were suspended for various periods of time including and up to 5years for fRECKLESS/DANGEROUS driving. Have the Laws for such misdemeanors been abolished. There are MANY general “DRIVERS” or Persons behind steering wheels who seem NOT to even KNOW the rules of driving/controlling a vehicle. But we know how many of them actually got their “LICENCES”..
And this is the thing … In addition to the reckless driving, is the disrespect of these young drivers who believes the “paying public” is asking them a favour. So they have the audacity to ask you to get out, rather than acknowledge their foolishness. But when they ask one person to get out, the whole bus should empty, cause until that happens, don’t expect the situation to change. United the people must stand against these reckless, disrespectful youth drivers if they need safe passage. Or, have a public transport system or route system, to make them realise that they are not “lords of our transportation service.”
You just need to take a pic of the licence plate take it to the traffic branch and also it’s good to be recording when your travels these days it can save you or even provide the concrete evidenc
e to jail these reckless drivers in those mini bus
The authorities need to act now on this serious issue of reckless driving. There are so many other issues with these vans as well that need to be looked at immediately. The lyrics and the high volume of the music that are played in these vans are distasteful and lack respect for the commuters. The number of passengers also must be controlled. Persons have to sit on seats with metal rubbing on their butt, knees pushed into the back of another seat or your head touching the roof if you are sitting in the back, persons standing over you or persons literally sitting on your leg because the van is overpacked. These concerns need urgent attention. The public is calling out for the persons concerned to do something. We have laws. The laws need to be enforced.
These drivers won’t stop because there are some fool’s ho don’t have nothing to live for ho will still ride with them when things like this happen everyone should come out the van and leave it empty but when they crash people die you all crying don’t cry you all give them the reason to drive so it’s a simple solution when things like this happen everyone empty the van tell others about the incident and stop riding the van and wait for the resposibe drivers they will either go bankrupt or bank come back for the van then they will all start driving properly if they want to get customers and make money they doing a service for you and you can bill them or break them
When these vans meet or involve in and accident people must be able to take van drivers to courts for reckless driving and endangering people life especially if a van drive was negligence of operating a passenger van always remember passenger should always be #1 you have no business with out them ,that is my take ,thank you