<<Print>>

Some members of the public who patronise the services of the Metro Mass Transit (MMT) buses between Kasoa and Accra, have decried the poor services and attitudes displayed by a section of workers on the buses. They complained that rather than seeking the interest and needs of passengers, drivers and conductors on the buses look on unconcerned, chat and argue about politics while passengers stand neglected. The passengers said on some occasions when they were required to receive pre-boarding services, it was not done, resulting in more people congregating at the bus station which in the end resulted in a struggle for space on the buses. Insulting behaviour According to some of the passengers who spoke to the Daily Graphic, if a passenger dared to question them, the person was insulted and asked to look for another means of transport. Patrons of the MMT buses are under the circumstances, proposing that the management of the company should replace drivers and conductors on the stretch between Kasoa and Accra with others who would show respect to passengers. They have also called on the management of the MMT to ensure that due process was followed in the recruitment of drivers and conductors for its fleet of buses. Expressing their frustrations, a regular patron who gave her name as Millicent Lob Aban, said the situation was really bad and called for immediate action by the management. MMT losing reputation She said the comfort passengers enjoyed when they boarded the buses in the past was no more as staff on the buses treated them with contempt. �Quite often when passengers arrive to board the bus, we are kept waiting for long hours only to be told at the last minute that the bus cannot leave because it is faulty,� she said. At one time, she said, passengers were asked to wait while arrangements were made for another bus, only for the one that was said to be faulty to turn round later to convey passengers to their destination adding that the truth of the matter was that the driver was not around. She said instances of the staff covering up for each other was becoming a worrying trend. Another passenger, who gave her name as Tina Osei, said she had also experienced rude treatment from some drivers and their conductors. She claimed that some of the drivers sometimes indulged in debates and other discussions with passengers in the buses and for which reason they could not concentrate on driving. She alleged that such drivers often insulted anyone who dared to question them. Because of such conduct, she said, boarding the MMT buses was becoming a nightmare. Reaction When contacted for its reaction, a source at the Public Relations unit of the MMT who asked not to be named, told the Daily Graphic that the management of the company had no knowledge of the concerns raised by the passengers. He said now that management had been informed about the developments, the concerns raised would be investigated and those found culpable would be brought to book.