DIABLOS ROJOS

Multi million dollar farewell

The compensation for each bus will be paid by checkand around 1500 “diablos rojos” will be permanently taken out of circulation.

IRLANDA SOTILLO
isotillo@laestrella.com.pa

The payment of the compensation was confirmed by the Traffic and Terrestrial Transport Authority ATTT (Autoridad de Transito y Transporte Terrestre) director, Heraclio Batista after a group of bus drivers and bus owners headed by Dionel Broce threatened to take over the ATTT offces today if they did not receive their money.

The compensation program is the first step to take out of circulation 1,500 buses and start the implementation of the transport program Transmovil that will introduce modern, air condition buses to replace the smoke belching “diablos rojos”.

Batista said that around 100 checks were given to bus owners yesterday, which represented an expenditure of over $1 million for the government.

Meanwhile, the leader of the bus depot of Pedregal, Dionel Broce was skeptical about Batista"s announcement and said that the bus owners did not know anything about it, because no one had called them to tell them about the compensation payments.

“They keep changing the dates and we are tired of waiting and the only way we will get our money is by taking over the ATTT,” said Broce.

“We know that the government cannot pay 1500 of us compensation in one day, but at least it should give us part of the money,” added Broce.

One of the opponents of the compensation scheme, the lawyer Victor Martinez demanded that the resolution that allows the bus owners to be paid, be declaired null and void because, according to him, the compensation package is unconstitutional and should be suspended until the courts give a decision about his lawsuit challenging the legislation.

Martinez said that the courts’ decision was delayed due to the end of year holidays.

The Transmovil project has caused controversy among the bus owners, bus drivers and the population.The public wants to see safe public transport after several “diablos rojos” had been involved in gruesome traffic accidents that have cost the lives of dozens of passengers.

Nobody knows for certain when the project will be implemented.

Publicidad