The Panama transit soap opera continues

PANAMA’S dysfunctional Metro Bus system continues to bedevil a wide range of players and non-performing entities.

Politicians, transport authorities(ATTT), owners of the out of service diablos rojos.  the Mi Bus operators of the system, the country’s ombudswoman, the business community and, most of all. would be passengers are all caught up in the not so very merry-go-round and fingers are being pointed in many directions while the chaos continues
President Ricardo Martinelli has lashed out at the Mi Bus operators that his government hired to run the service and the current Minister of the Presidency, Ricardo Henriquez and the previous holder of the post, Jummy Papadimitriu had a twitter battle blaming each other, and Henriquez has also blamed the traffic.
Critics from the business community have blamed the traffic snarl and the bus crisis on the lack of forward planning.
Despite the doubts that the proposal has generated, Panama City Mayor Roxana Méndez says that 50 buses the municipality has rented for $250,000 will go into service Monday April 15. The buses will be free, for 10 days to give the government time to straighten out the mess and get the Metro Bus system up and running. So we can expect a brighter day on April 24.
Mayoralty adviser Manuel González Puron said that the buses, being rented from the company Interbus, will "give the people relief from waiting."
Meanwhile the owners of diablos rojos who have not yet collected their $25,000 payoff, planned return 250 buses to the roads. That proposal earned them a promise of $150 fine for each bus that appears.
González Puron said that the proposal by diablos rojos operators to offer free service in exchange for fuel subsidies was "illegal," and is not a viable option.
He said that transit agency ATTT has approved the mayor's plan and that the rented buses meet all requirement.
Meanwhile the country’s Ombudswoman has weighed into the fray saying the company running the Metro buses is more interested in “business” than passengers. https://www.newsroompanama.com/panama/5511-mi-bus-puts-business-before-passengers-ombudswoman.html
As a reminder of the good old days, one of the illegal red devils on the road on Wednesday April 10, careered into a post, knocking cables and