THE ALARMING accident statistics recorded by the buses of the Jamaica Transit Company(JUTC) should not surprise the average user of the streets of the Corporate Area. Motorists in particular must have noticed the flamboyant driving style of the big buses, often recklessly overtaking other vehicles and attaining speeds obviously above the legal limit.
The figures, as we reported last week, attest to driving habits which pose danger to other users of the road. The Operations Manager of the company has confirmed a total of 1,054 accidents since January, averaging some three per day. In September alone there were 150 accidents.
In November 2002 the company paid out over $45 million to accident victims. Thus it is not surprising that accidents are the most serious problem the company faces in its effort to improve its financial status. And that status in January last year was confirmed by the company as amounting to losses of one million dollars per day.
It is comforting to hear company officials describe the efforts being employed to tackle the problem of reckless driving. These range from counselling sessions for drivers, to random tests for drugs and excess alcohol, and to special incentives for accident-free driving on a monthly basis.
The traffic which often chokes the major streets of the capital city is bound to pose challenges to the average motorist, and potential danger to pedestrians. One would expect that professional drivers of buses, trucks and taxis in particular should have the skills to manoeuvre safely within the legal limits. But clearly other incentives are at work, as in the element of competition with rivals for the commuter payload.
Notwithstanding the steps being taken by the JUTC to deal with the problem, the responsibility of the traffic police to monitor driving on the streets is still relevant both as a deterrent and to prosecute breaches of the traffic laws. In the latter category we are aware of the scope for corruption involving those who break the rules and the rogue cops prepared to profit thereby.
That is the dark side of the traffic maze which requires even more stringent enforcement of the existing rules of the road. The sheer size of the big buses makes it more critical for special police vigilance on the way they are driven.
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