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The public at the receiving end, once again

After having subjected bus commuters in the Western Province to another nightmarish strike, the Lanka Private Bus Owners' Association has promised to resume its services today but with no guarantee that its services will continue into the future without any major hitches.

Chairman of the association, Gemunu Wijeratne was quoted saying that the continuation of disruption - free services into the future will depend on whether a meeting the private bus operators expect to hold with the Transport Minister on August 18, will help resolve their grievances. If a solution is not reached at the meeting, an islandwide strike is likely to be launched by the private bus operators' union, their chairman was quoted as warning. Yesterday's strike, it was explained, was a demonstration of the union's opposition to new regulations introduced by the National Transport Commission.

This is no conciliatory position to take. By making the continuation of their services strictly conditional, the private bus union points to the adoption of a combative and confrontational approach in its talks with the Government. Meanwhile, the threat of an all-island private bus strike hovers ominously over the public, reducing them, as usual, to pawns in this struggle for a position of strength.

The immediate cause for yesterday's lightning strike, we are told, is the slapping of a fine on an errant private bus operator by the police, in accordance with regulations formulated by the National Transport Commission. The LPBOA chairman was quoted as arguing that private bus operators could be subjected to penalties for traffic offences only under the traffic laws and not under any other regulations.

This disagreement seems to have been the trigger to the strike.

However, we are compelled to agree with the NTC chairman who was quoted saying that the proper fora for the resolution of such disputes are the courts and not the highways of the country which are plied by the general public for their daily sustenance. Why subject the commuting public to such harrowing torture when they are not party to such disputes, we ask the striking union.

This is, of course, not the first occasion on which the people were victimized for grievances the private bus operators thought they had with the State. Holding the public to ransom, regardless of the consequences they suffer, seems to be the favoured tactic of all groups which go through the motions of serving the public whether they be described as blue collar or white collar unions, such as the GMOA.

The people wouldn't expect the State to back down from a pro-people position in such confrontations.

Every legitimate means must be used by the Government to indicate to these strike-happy unions that the public interest must be protected, come what may. The State must also seriously re-think its high dependence on the private bus sector. There doesn't seem, to be an alternative to strengthening the State bus sector.

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