DIABLOS ROJOS

Multi million dollar farewell

01-06-2009 | IRLANDA SOTILLO

isotillo@laestrella.com.pa

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

Panama Star 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.

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TRANSMOVIL PROJECT

The Transmovil project is the brainchild of President Martin Torrijos and aims to resolve the public transport problem in Panama and replace the notorious “diablos rojos” (red devils).

The project has three parts that includes driving school for bus drivers, new air conditioned buses and new routes that will allow the public easy access to different parts of the city.

One of the main obstacle to the Transmovil project has been resistance of bus owners and bus drivers, who believe that they will lose their livelihood under the new public system. Another problem is allocating the franchise for the management of Transmovil and the possibility of fare increases. The presidential elections are near and the project could be in danger.