Ads by Google Ads by Google

Back to the drawing board?

Two modifications to buses, passed as new regulations for buses by the government’s Transportation Commission in March, was that the bus driver must have a seat belt (not passengers), and that a second exit must be installed, in case of emergencies. Bus owners were given three months to come into compliance, and the DOC Transportation Commission was at the Market Place yesterday for its first inspection — and found only one business showed up for inspection — “Le Samoa Matalasi Transport”.

The commission credited the hard work and compliance shown by Moli and Tamara Fa’alogo, owners of the two buses inspected yesterday. However, inspection of the two buses brought to light the need for specifications for seat belt attachment and the size and location of the emergency exit. A meeting is scheduled for this week to formulate these specifications.

The deadline for compliance is the end of this month, but will probably be extended due to the problems highlighted during this first inspection.
Le Samoa Matalasi Transport buses are shown here with two types of driver’s seat belt modifications — one has its seat belt mounted to the bus frame, the other is found on the seat itself — and the installed ‘emergency’ exit is at the rear of the bus, but its size will necessitate passengers crawling out.

Cost of modifications for each bus was $500, according to their owners.