Licensing pirate buses to ease transit woes?

Licensing “pirate” buses is one of the solutions for solving Panama’s stuttering transportation system proposed by the deputy chairman of the Transportation Committee.

Pirate buses are small panel buses frequently seen at stops throughout the city, sometimes carrying logos of businesses with no relation to the transportation system and driven by "off duty" employees. Old school buses have also appeared, although diablos rojos have largely been sent to the bus graveyard in Panama Pacifico

During an April 24 visit to the 24 Diciembre bus center Marcos Gonzalez announced that a proposal will be made to the Executive to amend the contract with Mi Bus, the company in charge of public transport in the capital.
Gonzalez said this would be done by means of an addendum to the contract that would allow another company to provide service to users.
The report also includes a proposal to establish staggered work hours for public servants.
The amendment seeks to correct the "deficiencies of the service". And provide peace and quiet to users said González. "It's an issue we have to resolve," he told TVN Noticias.
Deputy Aris De Icaza said he was in favor of legalizing or giving permission to transport "pirates." He said that these transports were helping citizens before the problem existed  with the Metro Bus.

The move  of  Panama mayor Roxana Mendez to spend $250,000 to provide free buses  in selected locations seems to have ground to a halt in the office of theComptroller where anomalies were found in the direct contract. The buses were to have run for 10 working days, Monday to Friday while the Metro Bus  system sorted itself out.