Passengers travel like ‘sardines’ in buses that exceed their capacity

Many times It was time to get on the bus by pushing so as not to continue waiting, mainly during peak hours. Carmen comments that on Friday she got on one that took her from the Ventura mall to Cumavi avenue and she had to figure out how to get comfortable next to the door, because everyone was full and it was getting late, so she had no choice but to squeeze in. among the passengers.

She points out that she was not the last to go up, because the driver continued lifting passengers and forced people to accommodate themselves, because they all wanted to return to their homes.

It indicates that this is not the only experience, because on many occasions it has been transported in the same conditions.

They comment the same students and university students who say they are late for classes and they must be hung from the bras, at the expense of falling, because sometimes the saturation is such that it is not even enough to close the door.

Pablo Gómez, a university student, assures that it is very unpleasant to go “like sardines”, all tight in the micros. “On two occasions, due to being crowded, I have seen that some passengers had their valuables stolen,” he said.

People complain about the poor service provided by micromen. The passengers complain because, on the one hand, they need them, but on the other, they risk their lives due to the unbridled rhythm with which they circulate through the city.

people complain because most do not respect the few stops that exist in the city, They start the march when the traffic light is not yet green, when the passenger has not finished getting off or people are allowed to get on when the vehicle is not properly parked.

This panorama occurs in many arteries of the city, which contributes to the traffic chaos, which makes the hair stand on end, both for users and drivers. Many of those behind the wheel avoid driving near a bus because they don’t know when it will stop or make dangerous maneuvers.

The Urban Mobility Law, in its regulations in force since last month, establishes that smaller capacity buses and buses, from 1 to 29 passengers, as well as those of medium capacity, from 30 to 59 passengers, they must carry 40 percent of the passengers seated. Each vehicle must have georeferenced digital tracking equipment and provide security to passengers.

When registering the urban public transport service vehicle, the Single Tax Administration Registry (RUAT) will indicate the number of passengers that must be seated and standing, depending on the type and size.

In a pandemic, buses were even forced to carry only seated passengers.

On a tour by EL DEBER it was observed that this saturation is evident in different areas during peak hours, where it is common to see the buses exceeding their maximum capacity, because the passengers are crowded, some even risk hanging from the door.

In most cases, the driver takes advantage of all the space he has inside the vehicle to pack it of passengers and close the door, because it is forbidden for vehicles to circulate with the door open and the passengers hanging, since they are subject to sanctions.

The leader of urban transport, Mario Guerrero, points out that In no city in the world is it forbidden for the passenger to stand up in the buses, because they are short sections.

“It is allowed in urban transport that the passenger can go standing, that not only happens in Santa Cruz de la Sierra but also in other cities of the world because they are short trips,” Guerrero justified.

It points out that the opposite occurs in the case of inter-municipal and inter-departmental transport, where all passengers must be seated.

He also recalled that it is prohibited for passengers to travel hanging from the vehicle door, a situation that It is sanctioned by the Police and also internally in the lines. “Before it was common to see people hanging, but now that is prohibited,” said Guerrero.

The director of Planning and Authorization of the Transportation and Road Operation of the commune of Santa Cruz, Marco Franco, points out that the passenger capacity of the buses is determined by the RUAT and not the municipality.

“The RUAT tells you how many passengers each vehicle must carry. For example, for a car it establishes that its capacity is four or five people, while that of a wagon reaches six or seven people, then they should not exceed the allowed amount, ”explained Franco.