Bonanza for pirates as bus strike strands thousands

TUESDAY JULY 14 was a bonanza day for pirate buses and taxis as thousands of workers in Panama West, San Miguelito and Colon affected a country wide transport strike, protesting the proliferation of pirate buses .
 The most affected areas was Arraiján and La Chorrera, where the Union of Drivers and Vehicles of La Chorrera (Sicamoch), consisting of about 200 vehicles, failed to provide service to it long suffering regular passengers who often get up as early as 4.30 in the morning for the long crawl to work on the congested highway leading to the Bridge of the Americas.
In San Miguelito, the most affected were those usually served by Futuro SA (Transfusa), which provides buses in the northern Panama sector and covers 23 routes with more than 600 buses.
The people of Chilibre, Las Cumbres and La Cabima were the most affected by the strike.
La Cooperativa San Cristobal de Chepo, working in the eastern sector of the capital, with more than 28 bus routes and servicing the people of the December 24, township withdrew service.
Carriers of Bocas del Toro, Colon, Darien and part of Cocle also supported the strike reports La Prensa.