NOBA Head requests elderly only bus stop at Halifax Street

President of the National Omnibus Association (NOBA) Anthony “Code Red” Bacchus, is proposing that van drivers be allowed to discharge elderly or disabled citizens on Halifax Street, in front of CIBC FirstCaribbean Bank.{{more}}

“We are not asking for a bus stop there. I don’t know how many of you have experienced picking up a disabled person or senior citizen and they ask you to let them off at Western Union or at the bank, because the bus stop at Peace Memorial Hall is too far…,” Bacchus said, while addressing about 80 minibus operators at a meeting of the Association on Sunday at the Arnos Vale hard court.

Bacchus told those gathered that he has been placed in that position in the past.

“I told the old lady that I can’t let you off there. The only way I can let you off there is if you give me $81. That’s $80 for the police and $1 for me. I took her up to Peace Memorial Hall and she cursed me out, but I felt bad,” Bacchus recalled.

He, however, admitted that he was faced with a similar situation on another occasion, but took the risk of discharging the passenger.

“We are not asking the Government to put a bus stop there. Not for any and anybody to go and pick up passengers there. Not for anybody to discharge strong persons. It’s only if you have an elderly person, we could just be able to discharge them from the bus quickly.

“If the police see you picking up or discharging anybody, [they] can charge him,” he said.(KW)