Introducing Comments of the Week -TRANSPORTATION

COMMENTS in response to news items are the internet equivalent of the “Letters to the Editor” pages that used be one of the most read sections of newspapers.

They frequently generated lively and sometimes thoughtful debate to the point where The Times (of London) at one period collected letters on matters of public interest and published them in booklets.

The Newsroom comments haven’t yet quite reached that level , but some make points well worth sharing with others who may have missed the posting.

So, starting today, we will publish a selection of comments that call for a broader audience … and of course you are free to comment on the comments.
FROM MY PERSPECTIVE as a USA expat living here for more than 5 years and a individual involved in bus transportation for more than 30 years, the MiBus deal is the biggest waste of money for a country this size I have ever seen. These are the wrong type of buses for this city, were overpriced by $100,00.00 per unit and with the government sending $40 million a month in subsidy money to Colombia because the Panamanian people can't get it through their heads they can't ride on modern buses for $.25 it's a financial disaster designed to fail. The only positive thing resulting from MiBus is that 1200 pieces of noise and air polluting junk is off the roads. By the time this first contract expires more than $500 million will be spent on buses and a system that should have cost no more than $150 million. The buses are already breaking apart from being over loaded and from driver abuse and most likely a lack of preventive maintenance they will be lucky to last 3-5 years before they will be in the same condition as the junk they replaced. The only winners in this deal were Volvo the Colombians and most likely Martinelli.

COMING BACK from work each day on Via Israel I routinely have to watch 4 or 5 busses pass me by, full or not. Three Friday's ago a crowd across from Don Bosco, where my stop is, grew to perhaps 200 people when 13, yes 13 busses just passed by…the bigger story is that not just unlicensed Diablos but LUXURY TOUR BUSSES RETURNING TOURISTS TO ATLAPA/SHERATON AREA..cruise down via Israel…..newly created "pavos"…tour company drivers and guides…throw open their doors and ask for a dollar for anyone who wants to go to MultiCentro or Parque Urraca..rarely do they go to Allbrook Terminal because I guess they have to go to some holding garage or lot somewhere else…they usually are large white busses with no company logos, but when the door opens I can see these are super upscale with nice carpeting, drapes, videos etc…I am not even talking about the private SUV owners who pick up a few extra bucks…except of course the guys who pick up pretty young girls for free, because even in Panama, well, hope springs eternal…..When Metro Bus works it is wonderful…but too often people smashing through the back door entrance to sneak on for free quickly fill the busses, crowding out paying passengers trying to enter the front door.

THE SYSTEM will never work as long as the traffic in this city remains the same. When will the government wake up and take control. This city more than any other city in Latin America needs strict traffic enforcement and a police department to enforce the laws. Traffic enforcement officers need to be at every major intersection and on scooters enforcing the laws. Stiff fines and suspension of drivers licenses is the only way people here will learn that "Driving is a Privilege" and not a "God Given Right". Traffic signals need to be coordinated, a license plate system such as what Bogota uses, whereby everyone must not drive their cars on a given day, enforce parking regulations so that illegal parking etc.is eliminated and allows for vehicles to use street lanes and most of all taxi regulations that regulate where passengers are picked up and discharged. Transit systems will only work if their is proper control of traffic. Staggered work hours helps to sp read the traffic evenly throughout the peak time periods.

IN THE END there are just too many cars for this city and road system and as long as there is an elitist mentality within the population that their needs come before the majority of the people the problem will never be solved. Like it or not these are the solutions that will allow MiBus to operate more efficiently. You can't blame MiBus