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Buses causing problems

In Aguadulce, as in many other parts of the country, local officials are struggling with public transportation issues.

Bus drivers in the town of Aguadulce are upset about a plan announced by government officials to limit traffic in the downtown area.

The plan prohibits buses from picking up passengers on Plaza 19 de Octubre, the town's main street which runs through the central business district.

The plan has prompted bus operators to file a complaint with the Autoridad del Tránsito y Transporte Terrestre (ATTT) stating that the decision is unfair to them.

The conflict arose because there are no established timetables for bus service and drivers stop randomly to pick up passengers.

Police say this activity is dangerous. Bus operators counter that there are not enough bus stops on the busy road.

It's an argument that might break out in almost any city or town in the country.

José Benito Aranda, a driver on the Llano Sánchez-Aguadulce route, said that installing proper bus stops would solve many of the problems, since drivers then wouldn't have to stop wherever passengers felt like standing.

In their absence, however, drivers are pretty much bound to pick up people on the side of the road.

Government officials and bus operators plan to meet this week to discuss the problem and come up with some possible solutions.