Bus charioteers loose on highways

TWO BUS DRIVERS  who usually operate on the  the Chepo-Via Espana  route, have been  fined by the Transport Authority  for conducting races on public highways.

There was a time when  Diablo Rojo races on crowded  thoroughfares  were a regular  part of daily “entertainment” in Panama City and its environs as the  poorly serviced, noise and air polluting  former US school buses,  raced each other to pick up an extra 25 cents  passenger at official stops or anywhere in between.

On the way they frequently added to Panama’s bloody road toll, killing, motorists, pedestrians and passengers alike converting their red devils moniker to a more appropriate chariots of death.

In one bizarre case the “pavo” (an assistant to the driver who bellowed destinations  from the front steps was decapitated  when they crashes after  racing to be first at a passenger rank.

With their replacement by Metro buses  the city’s environment  improved with a reduction in the clouds of black diesel smoke, poisoning lungs and fouling paint on buildings. The level of noise pollution also fell.

But some of the drivers who were not seduced to accept from Mi Bus a regular pay check, shorter hours a uniform and social security benefits, missed the excitement of the highway chariot races, and kept the adrenalin flowing by organizing  regular  regattas which come close to demolition derbies.

A recent event raised so much excitement that fellow drivers turned out to see the combatants  in action in  the community of Tanara de Chepo, and proudly put their  videos on the internet, presumably thinking that, like the local cops the transport authorities would turn a blind eye.

Wrong. The ATTT slapped double fines on the two drivers for organizing a race and for careless driving.

Many believe suspension of their driving and operating licenses would have been more appropriate.