Palma.The Works Committee of Palma's public bus company EMT expressed its concern yesterday over the consequence of management's cutting of lines and regularity of service on some routes in Palma.
A committee representative said that because passengers are now having to wait longer on the lines affected, and that when a bus eventually does turn up there is no guarantee of their getting on, the frustration is boiling over into verbal and other abuse against drivers. It is not the drivers at all who are to blame, said the representative who asked not to be named. On the contrary, it is the drivers who are well acquainted with the routes which are most used and how often services need to run to meet passenger requirements. He said that the most sensible thing the company management could do would be to consult with the drivers before making any further decisions over cuts. The representative said that drivers understood that times were economically difficult and that some trimming of services need to be made. It is common sense, however, said the representative, that management should consult with the staff before cuts are made, and this way the abuse that drivers are suffering from frustrated passengers can be minimised.