What was already becoming increasingly obvious has happened. Government was unable to convince the St. Maarten School Bus Owners Association of its new policy for this service and there was the threat of a court case, including a deadline of next Wednesday at noon to respect the agreements going back to 1994 with the current operators.
Member of Parliament (MP) Tamara Leonard apparently had seen the writing on the wall and issued a press release earlier. Better regulating the school bus system has her support, but care must be taken that this does not lead to abrupt loss of jobs and/or income for the drivers.
Of course, the National Accountability Ordinance mandates a proper bidding process for that kind of outsourcing, especially where it regards large amounts like the NAf. 5.4 to 6 million per year mentioned in this case. As matter of fact, doing something about the rising cost involved was one of the reasons for the contested decision, along with enhancing safety and security in the vehicles.
However, while a public bid under such circumstances is practically a no-brainer in most countries, there are some potential drawbacks especially when it comes to relatively small communities. One of the concerns is that a party from outside the sector would be able to make the best offer, thereby leaving all existing operators without their livelihood of many years from one day to the next without much of a realistic chance to find viable alternatives due to limited opportunities.
In that particular scenario owners still might be able to rent or sell their buses to the new company and some drivers undoubtedly could find work there, but the earnings of both groups would be likely to go down, with possible social consequences for them and their families.
Education, Culture and Sports Minister Silveria Jacobs did the right thing by announcing late Friday night that the tender had been postponed in the interest of working together to achieve the desired goals. Several useful suggestions for possible solutions have been mentioned recently by MP Leonard and Parliament President Sarah Wescot-Williams, among others, but some time understandably will be required to work them out in a responsible manner.
Publisher’s note:
Quite a few readers fell for Friday’s front page April Fool’s joke about the sewage plant at Harold Jack and some also flashed their car lights and/or blew their horns while passing the spot in protest. Be ready next year!
