WILLEMSTAD – Minister Zita Jesus-Leito and her team of VVRP experts met with representatives of bus drivers. During these meetings, the Minister addressed the issue of public transportation and how, together with all partners, the system could be optimized. This is to benefit the citizens who use busses as daily commute to work, school, or elsewhere. Additionally, the minister also took time hear out the concerns regarding the bus drivers.
Commissions for public transportation:
Minister Jesus-Leito formed a commission to observe all aspects related to public transportation. Under the guidance of the Ministry of VVRP, an investigation will be carried out among others on: infrastructure, new routes, tariffs, legal aspects and more. This Commission includes all the parties concerned so that together they can think of solutions.
Starting points:
The starting point for all actions is for the public transport to be reliable, affordable, comfortable, and routes are ridden in an acceptable time.
The goal is to introduce a new public transport structure consisting of an arrangement of schedules and services, more bus stops in neighborhoods and urban areas, and more bus terminals across the island in addition to the ones we currently have in Punda and Otrobanda. The ultimate goal is to avoid that the citizens who live for example in Muizenberg, and who must arrive at their work in Jan Noorduynweg, take a bus that takes them to Otrobanda and then having to take another that leaves them in Jan Noorduynweg. Obviously, with a more adequate structure, this situation can be avoided and users can save time, which allows them to reach their work or personal destination on time. The option of raising a small cooperative under the responsibility of the bus drivers was also evaluated in order to work in connection with ABC Busbedrijf.
The possible benefits of this will be: A fixed entrance for the drivers, more regulated social benefits, adjusted fiscal benefits, and cheaper gasoline to be bought by the drivers in more and better quantities.
