The Tribune

For someone with a car in the driveway, a jitney stoppage may barely register. For someone waiting at a bus stop with a shift starting in half an hour, it can threaten a day’s wages.

There may be no money for a taxi. The relative who sometimes offers a lift may already be at work. A child still needs to get to school, an appointment cannot easily be rescheduled, and an employer’s patience may be running short.

Those are the people who must be at the centre of the dispute between jitney operators and the Government.

Wednesday’s withdrawal of service left commuters stranded across New Providence. Operators are seeking an increase in the standard adult fare from $1.50 to $2, arguing that fuel and other operating costs have made their position unsustainable.

Their concerns deserve a serious hearing. Bus owners and drivers have households to support, vehicles to maintain and bills that cannot be settled with assurances. A service cannot remain dependable if the people providing it cannot afford to keep their vehicles on the road.

But passengers are contending with the same pressures. For a worker taking one bus each way, six days a week, an additional 50 cents per journey would mean another $6 in weekly expenses. A household with several people travelling daily, or journeys requiring a change of bus, would feel a larger increase.

Neither side of that calculation can be dismissed.

Transport Minister Leon Lundy has acknowledged the operators’ concerns and arranged talks for Friday. His objection to commuters bearing the consequences of the dispute is reasonable. Those discussions must now offer a credible path towards a settlement.

The starting point should be a clear examination of operating costs. What does it reasonably cost to run a safe, properly maintained bus? What income can an operator expect on different routes? What fare would sustain the service, and what protection would passengers with limited means require?

Those questions should guide the decision. Neither political discomfort over an increase nor pressure from a withdrawal of service is a sound basis for setting a fare.

If an increase is justified, the Government should explain why. Operators, in turn, should be prepared to commit to clear standards of service.

Passengers should know which route a bus follows, when service begins and ends, and what fare they will be charged. They should be able to expect safe driving, courteous treatment and a straightforward way to raise a complaint.

A higher fare should come with a clearer understanding of what the passenger can depend upon.

The discussions should also include people who regularly use the buses. Someone who travels to work in a government vehicle or drives to a meeting may not understand the uncertainty of waiting at a stop without knowing whether another bus is coming.

Regular passengers can explain where connections fail, where service ends too early and how disruption affects their working lives. Their experience should help shape the solution.

While negotiations continue, both sides should agree on prompt public communication and practical arrangements to minimise further disruption. People need enough notice to make other plans. Operators need confidence that their concerns will receive decisions within a reasonable period.

Public transport allows people to earn a living, attend school, care for relatives and participate in the life of their community. Its reliability deserves sustained attention between disputes.

Friday’s meeting should begin with the person standing at the bus stop in mind.

That passenger needs an affordable journey and a bus that actually comes. A successful agreement must deliver both.