Titchfield High principal calls for gov't to hold PPV operators accountable to standards following death of student

 

Not satisfied with the system in place to monitor operators of public passenger vehicles, Richard Thompson, Principal of Titchfield High School, is calling for the Government to move swiftly to professionalise the transportation sector and hold operators accountable to standards.

 

The Ministry of Transport has been on a drive to restore order to the sector.

 

Speaking Thursday at a candle light vigil for 13 year old Pranjal Jasti, who died in a motor vehicle crash off the Black Hill main road in Portland on Monday, Mr Thompson said similar to systems that are in place to monitor teachers, nurses and other professionals, the Government needs to get serious about its monitoring of transport operators. 

 

"I can't see how difficult it is. We can find time to and courage to pass many laws and put many systems in place; some at huge expenses of taxpayers. We want you to assist us in saving the lives of our children," he said. 

 

Mr Thompson suggested that the Government consider a fare adjustment for transport operators "allowing them to be adequately compensated for the work that they do in the context of our economic realities, so that they don't have to be breaking their neck literally to make that elusive dollar." 

 

Some of the students injured in Monday's crash attended the vigil.

 

The body of Pranjal is to be taken to India today for burial.

 

 

Member of Parliament for Portland Western Daryl Vaz, who also spoke at the candle light vigil, called for stronger action against transport operators who overload their vehicles. 

 

"To the police, I say zero tolerance. If you hold a bus driver for overloading, for God's sake, don't let him get another chance to overload. Seize the bus! And make him wait 'til him go to court and the court decide what action is to be taken. but it cannot be business as usual, because if there is no consequences, they will continue to do it everyday, 24 hours a day," he asserted. 

 

Following Monday's crash, the head of the Portland Police revealed that the driver of the bus had been under police surveillance after being cited for several traffic offences, including overloading his bus as was the case on the day of the incident.