Knowledge Kaitano, The Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport and Infrastructure, has called on bus operators to instill a culture of safe driving among their drivers and stop blaming passengers for pressuring them to speed.
Speaking recently Kaitano stressed that it is the responsibility of transport operators to promote a responsible road culture, prioritizing safety over profit.
Kaitano said, “The culture of safe road use must be instilled by the transport operators themselves. Drivers cannot claim that passengers urged them to drive fast; it is ultimately the driver’s decision. When a passenger encourages speeding, the driver must still make the choice to drive safely.”
Kaitano emphasized that bus operators should focus on training their drivers to handle any external pressure professionally and safely, rather than allowing passenger demands to influence their driving decisions. He pointed out that drivers should be independent thinkers and prioritize the safety of all passengers, regardless of any demands for faster travel.
The committee chair also highlighted a broader issue within the industry: a culture of reckless driving driven by daily and monthly revenue targets set by bus operators. He noted that many operators encourage speeding indirectly by setting high financial targets for drivers, such as aiming to make $100 per day or $3,000 per month. Kaitano argued that these targets place pressure on drivers to prioritize speed over safety to complete as many trips as possible in a day.
“It is the bus operators who are responsible for this culture of speeding and reckless driving,” Kaitano added. “They have created an environment where drivers feel compelled to rush to meet financial targets, which jeopardizes road safety.”
He concluded by urging bus operators to adopt and enforce safer driving practices within their businesses, emphasizing that passenger safety should be the priority. Kaitano called for a shift in the transport sector, where both operators and drivers commit to a culture of responsible driving, helping to reduce the number of accidents caused by speeding.
