Conditions in the Fairchild Street Bus Terminal have got worse, especially with the Sargeant Street route. We, the commuters, are forced to wait long hours for buses. This situation has been ongoing from last year.
Then, between midday and 4 p.m. and in peak time between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., buses were despatched, sometimes every two hours, and in some instances one had to wait three hours for a bus.
Now, it is customary to wait three and sometimes four hours for a bus, especially between midday and 4 p.m. This affects primarily senior citizens who usually do their business in those hours hoping to get out of Town before the rush hour crowd.
I personally experienced this, most recently, as I waited from noon to 4 p.m. before a bus finally came. Persons are complaining of headaches and backaches as a result.
This is unacceptable. Sometimes the dispatcher announces: “Passengers travelling to Sargeant Street please prepare to board at Gate 14”. And then, you wait 15 to 20 minutes more before the bus comes; and, on a few occasions, it never comes.
Next to the Sargeant Street gate is the Edey Village, Warrens and Dash Valley commuters. A bus is despatched at 15 minutes to the hour and then at 15 minutes after the hour for Edey Village.
There is also a ZR van that services that route which is used along with the Transport Board buses and there is very rarely a disruption to this service. I have witnessed this and have also heard of several individuals who have fainted from waiting so long. Schoolchildren and young babies are also subjected to this long wait. Other areas which are also impacted are the College Savannah, Society and Martin’s Bay routes.
I am appealing to the authorities for intervention to rectify this unbearable situation.
– DELORES NEWTON
