Failure of Government to systematically replace aging buses and bad driving are among the main contributors to the deteriorating service of the Transport Board.
WEEKEND NATION investigations revealed that the last time the Transport Board acquired new buses was in late 2006 and early 2007 when 75 Mercedes Benz units were added to the fleet.
“This means that the board’s newest units are between seven and eight years old,” an engineering expert with close connections to the state-owned corporation explained.
“The big problem is that the board is being asked to meet the island’s transport needs with a very aged fleet.”
The official pointed out that the Brazil-made buses were designed to give between ten and 15 years of reliable service, depending on the quality of maintenance, but the units were not available often enough for adequate maintenance.
“The board should have been replacing between 20 and 30 buses a year to ensure that it always has a decent mix in its fleet,” the expert said in relation to the 300-odd buses run by the board.
However the management could not be faulted for that. “That is something that would have to be decided by the people who make policy [at the Government level].”
