The other side and lane of Ladyville bus dispute
On Tuesday, News Five aired a story about a hostile incident between two bus drivers; one from Skai’s Bus Company and the other from Flores Bus company – both who operate in the Ladyville/Lord’s Bank area. In the story, Ladyville Police Officer Commanding, Inspector Calbert Flowers, told us that both drivers had drawn machetes at each other. Today, one of the drivers involved came forth to clarify that statement. Driver for Skai’s Bus Company, Naim Seawell, told News Five that he never threatened his counterpart with a weapon, nor did he violate any traffic or transport regulation. Seawell contends that in fact he was the one who feels violated.
Naim Seawell, Driver, Skai’s Bus Company
“The Flores bus in front ah me stay eena my time soh I couldn’t leave pan my time. Soh I had to lef pan di next man time and di next man dah wah Flores bus as well. When time wi get pass di curve through Lord’s Bank fi he pa pull ih car front ah my bus, almost run into my bus. I pull weh from ah and I continue drive. When I pull weh from he ih son gone fi overtake fi he car and fi he bus almost run eena wah drain and turn over. So before dat happen ih brakes and reverse out ah di drain. I swerve way off ah di road and ih son drive pass eena di bus and park di bus cross di road, jump out ah ih bus wid a machete and come into di front ah my bus and ask me weh di go on wid me and ih pa come out ah ih car and come dah my bus door. Soh I explain to deh, unu driver weh mi gone before me noh gone pan fi he time, he stay pan my time. So fi prevent wah race wid he I just stay back. And he seh yoh know what, whatever we got now we got now and he drive off ih bus and ih block crossway every time he pick up somebody soh I couldn’t continue pick up passengers. I just left ah mek ih gone. Weh we di do right now according to weh my boss tell we, we just suffer di loss. We noh race wid dehn pan di road. Dehn heng eena fi we time we just continue di same way.”
Seawell said when he went to make a report at the Ladyville Police Station an officer told him that the other driver did not commit any offense because he did not threaten or assault him with the machete. When we contacted the Commissioner of Transport, Candelaria Saldivar, she said her office is gathering information about the incident with a view of taking measures against anyone found at fault. The Transport Department had previously suspended two bus drivers for other offences.
