Let’s do something about it!

here has been an outcry about the safety of passengers on buses on the A1 Highway.

Last week, the former Member of Parliament for Tonota who is also the former Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development, Thapelo Olopeng posted on his Facebook timeline complaining about the ever-speeding buses.

Olopeng wrote: “Friends. Ako le mpolele gore di bus tsa malatsi a di taboga ka speed mang, gape di dirisa mariki a mohuta mang?

“Ko ore etaare o itsamaela ka lebelo la molao (120) mo A1 a bo a go susumela mo eleng gore haoka borika ka tshoganetso, waa gogo rwala a go lathela kwa! Haa sena go ouvatheika, o nyamela ka motsotso. Ija, mathata.” Loosely translated, “Friends please tell me, what speed limit and what kind of brakes buses nowadays use? I ask because you will be driving at the legal speed limit of 120km on the A1. The bus tails you without giving you braking distance to a point that if you were to step on the brakes as a matter of urgency the bus would actually hit your car and probably throw your car off the road. After overtaking the bus will disappear in the blink of an eye.” The post attracted a lot of comments, where many who drive along the A1 or board the buses found an opportunity to vent, expressing their discontent with boarding the A1 buses and driving in front of or behind the buses.

One of the comments under Olopeng’s post states: “Nna ka di sutela tsa A1. Le o ka utswa speed wa re chaa 160 di go heta o kare o a reversa.” Loosely translated: “I let them pass, even if you pass the speed limit and drive at 160, they just pass you as if you are in reverse mode.”

Fellow citizens let us not just complain on Facebook and other social media platforms but let us come together and do something about the problem. A few other people also posted complaining that the ever-speeding buses on the A1, particularly those heading to Francistown from Gaborone and to Maun from Gaborone and vice versa — from Francistown to Gaborone and from Maun to Gaborone. Accidents involving buses have claimed many lives over the last few years and left many others crippled. There is a reason why those who drive public transport need a special permit, a professional driving permit in addition to their diver’s licence. Buses carry a lot of people and drivers of such modes of public transport need to exercise prudent safety measures as compared to those driving their own cars.

Bus drivers should start taking the lives of their customers seriously. Most travel by bus to reach their destination safely, not faster! Let us save lives and start a campaign on issues of public transport safety. It is better to arrive late and safe, than not to arrive at all! Let’s put pressure on public transport operators and drivers to do the right thing.