Overcrowded buses

Overcrowded buses

From Berita Buana

A top police official called on city bus drivers recently to stop overcrowding city buses so that they could close the bus doors in line with the new regulation.

This sounds right but if there is a ruling to regulate the maximum number of passengers in a bus why do traffic policemen let overcrowded buses pass in front of their eyes in bus terminals to begin with?

Isn't this silent consent? A feeling shared by us all, passengers, drivers and the public alike?

As a regular commuter I am always grateful of the bus drivers' willingness to give me a ride to an overcrowded bus and to the traffic police for not stopping the bus and asking the passengers to get off.

And why do the authorities allow trains to carry passengers exceeding their maximum capacities? There are trains with passengers overflowing onto their rooftops.

In simple economic terms this is known as supply not meeting demand. Since public transport is cheap, me and the common people happily opt to use this means of transportation though it often means traveling in overcrowded wagons while standing up.

It would be wonderful if the government or those conglomerates who have concerns over social issues would provide more transportation means so that those buses and trains can close their doors, keeping with the new traffic regulation.

Chew G.H.

Jakarta