The Bahamas Unified Bus Drivers Union, the very first bus driver’s union in the Bahamas made its debut yesterday with many progressive plans for the future.
Union President Frederick Farrington says that their main goals are to facilitate and jumpstart a busing system that is long overdue, that works for everyone.
The Union started as a steering committee among all bus drivers in February 2015, after the removal of the bus stop in downtown Nassau in the area of the Royal bank of Canada.
With over 200 of the 300 bus drivers in the Bahamas as members, they intend to change the face of bus drivers and Bahamians’ perception of them. Their plan is to be able to ensure that bus drivers are now obeying all safety regulations. “If you mention the word’s ‘bus drivers’, you can see the frustration on people’s faces. We are committed to make a turn around and show the public a uniformed and courteous driver by obeying all rules and regulations, ” says the union president.
The newly formed union intends to work with the road traffic department, and the police force to adjust and make changes to the way public transit is done in the Bahamas.
Mr. Farrington says that they intend to work with the National Insurance Board as well. As of today, 85 per cent of bus drivers in the Bahamas lack National Insurance coverage. Union president says that he is committed to decreasing that number, even if only by 5 per cent.
The union intends to meet the controller of the Road Traffic department sometime next week to discuss the major issue of bus stops and having bus drivers stop anywhere in the roads for passengers.
Further , a new payment system is being implemented where passengers are given cards to scan. It is a three-card system consisting of green, yellow, and pink cards. Seniors to use pink cards; green cards represent $1.00 and yellow cards represent a $1.25. at the of each work day. The driver will know how much money he has made based on the cards swiped into the system from their bus.
The newly formed union is currently not under the Bahamas Public Services Union, but it intends to be sooner than later.
