BY BARNABAS MANEBONA
CITIZENS in Honiara say that the road condition in the city is an area affecting the new bus routes enforced now being blamed for causing delay for public travelling.
Speaking on behalf of locals, Mr Moffat Iro said that complaints from the new bus routes enforced is short sighted as there are other contributing factors to the problem.
He said continuous road works on maintenance along the city main roads is one cause of delay for the timing movement of vehicles as well.
“We cannot say school students and so will be affected to their timing because of delay from public buses because timing of movement is each and everyone’s responsibility to reach their destinations. In fact, maybe normal timing movements should now be changed,” said Iro.
“Honiara City Council (HCC) is acting in a way of bringing about change to push us forward as we cannot always be in the same situation.
“If monitoring on the long run but the enforcement is not contributing to any changes then we might call for changing it but in the meantime, let us monitor the new routes enforced first.
“I would like to call on the National Government and Ministry responsible for maintenance and so along the main city roads to improve them well to assist timing movement of vehicles.”
The new bus routes were enforced by HCC during last month.
Hon Andrew Mua the HCC Mayor during their press conference over the new enforcement said that they are not thinking of making any changes to the system.
“HCC under its Business Ordinance and conditions aim to make sure that operators comply with the compliances on the conditions of the business licence,” said the Mayor.
For the new bus routes, a public bus terminates at the Central Market and follows the same circuit turning back for White River if it starts from there.
A public bus cannot continue travelling from the Central Market to Kukum before heading back westwards to the Central Market.
Buses that start travelling from the Central Market to Naha must follow the same circuit as well.
Another route is starting from the Central Market going all the way to King George VI before terminating and rotating the same circuit.
“Public bus transportation travelling beyond KGVI is ones decision that HCC cannot decide on because beyond Burns Creek is outside of our jurisdiction,” said the Mayor.
