Warden attacked by bus conductor

Warden attacked by bus conductor

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Details: Parent Category: Dec 2011; Category: Week ending Dec 03rd, 2011; Published on Monday, 19 December 2011 16:00; Hits: 470

A warden at the St. George’s Bus Terminus is nursing injuries to one of his eyes following an altercation with the operators of a Zone One Bus that plies the Grand Anse to St. George’s route.

There are reports that the busmen attacked warden Paul Mc Leod after he tried to stop them from going beyond the designated point of dropping off passengers.

The fracas took place just as the bus terminus was getting busy on Friday afternoon.

THE NEW TODAY Newspaper learnt that the altercation took place when Mc Leod attempted to stop the white Toyota Bus which goes by the name “Whiteout,” registration number HAE 943.

This newspaper was told that both the driver and conductor of the bus came out and kicked and struck the warden in the face.

The busmen were detained by police officers attached to the bus terminus.

One of the wardens who spoke to reporters said that her colleague received a cut close to his eye.

She said that her co-worker was merely trying to follow the rules and regulations at the bus terminus as set out by the management of the Grenada Ports Authority.

According to the female warden, one of the rules states that buses entering the terminus have a certain point to drop off their passengers.

She said if any bus is proceeding further than the designated drop-off point, the employees are charged with the responsibility to ask the operator to have the passengers disembark.

The warden complained that they have constantly been heckled and threatened by bus operators at the St. George’s Bus Terminus.

“We’ve been asking for some form of protection. We are asking for them to withdraw permission given to certain buses (that) pass through here with passengers on mornings,” she said.

Another female warden indicated that this was the second time Mc Leod has been attacked.

“We hope that management would stand up and do some justice this time. We are not on strike but we are willing to remove ourselves from dangerous situations that will cost us our lives,” she said.

In solidarity with their colleague, the wardens embarked on a form of work stoppage, which entered into the new week.

The wardens are represented by the Grenada Technical and Allied Workers Union whose President General, Senator Chester Humphrey indicated that under the Labour Laws of Grenada, a worker can remove himself from a situation that presents imminent harm to life or limb.

There are 17 wardens working at the St. George’s Bus Terminus.