GCBA, CNRT & the irresponsibility of Empresas de Colectivos

[GuilleGee]

So I decided to start a new thread to discuss what is being done to improve the safety factor in the cities as related to the public bus system in the wake of the 22 deaths in the past year, ideas of what should be done, and to hear some peoples stories of problems with buses.

I was inspired to do this by an article I read today that discusses how the CNRT & the regulator of the GCBA have been working together, going undercover and recording infractions on different city bus lines. I will post the link for those who are interested; http://www.clarin.com/ciudades/capital_federal/espias-detectan-graves-manejar-colectivos_0_332966810.html

I know in the past couple of months there have been many meetings to deal with this problem and one of the things that has been decided is that all buses will be required to have a GPS tracker so that their speed can be recorded and controlled.

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As far as stories go, I have never had a close call with a bus, although I have had many different issues with drivers not stopping at bus stops even after seeing me hail them and their acknowledging me just because they don't want to slow down.

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I still love the buses here, and I think it is a great system, but obviously something needs to be done to improve the safety and decrease the amount of accidents caused by and involving buses.

 

[French jurist]

Solutions are quite evident, what is lacking is applying those solutions.

Drivers :
- Actual situation (might be wrong) : no risk going to jail, no risk paying civil damages, eventually at risk of losing the job
- Solution : criminalize reckless driving (considering any vehicle as a "weapon by destination", I don't know if this concept exists here)

- Empresas de colectivos : Criminal liability for the bosses if it is proven that they entice their drivers to speed up. Make them lose their licence if problems keep occuring. Make them pay very heavy fines

- Driving licence : make it much harder to get because right now you don't need to take any lessons at all, and it takes 5 minutes to pass the -very basic- test.


Let's not forget the political world too, they seem to lack willingness to fight this problem. Is there a strong collectiveros lobby ? It might be.

 

[jp]

They can install speed limiters on buses, but even a low speed collision is going to result in deaths.

One of the main problems I can see is the awkward overlap between pedestrian crossings and vehicles turning into the road. So long as both parties have right of way, its always going to be a matter of time before a pedestrian gets mown down by a car or a bus.

 

[marksoc]

We drive pretty well. I think that all those lessons and the high cost of obtaining the drivers´license in some 1st World countries is a kind of a scam, is like a tax. I don´t think that Argentineans drive worse than Spanish or French or US people, we in fact know how to drive in more dangerous situations.

 

[jp]

Everyone thinks they drive well. But the fact that Argentina is a world leader in road traffic deaths suggests that there's still some room for improvement...

 

[French jurist]

- I drive pretty well so there's no risk says the highly confident driver speeding above the limits.
- I drive pretty well so there's no risk says the guy (I include myself in this category although I never speed) after a dinner during which he has been drinking 6 or 7 glasses of wine.
- I drive pretty well so there's no risk says the guy passing a car crossing a double line.
etc etc...

- I am sorry, if only I had known says a guy who just killed a 5 years old boy and mutilated his pragnet mother.


I consider myself a good driver too even if in my 20s I did really stupid things (driving my Suzuki GSXR 1100 with 147HP up to 290 km/h, doing wheelings on the same bike up to 130 km/h, etc). One can be an excellent driver and act really stupidely.

Maybe is it because I am getting older, but I am more conscious now that life in society implies respecting the others and trying to protect the weakest ones (elders crossing the street and so on)

 

[French jurist]

Even once here, back in 2004, I was driving my GF car in BA in a small street, ahead the traffic was stopped with many cars (it was very visible from the short distance), a woman and her kid were waiting to cross the street, I decelerated slowly, stopped and told her to cross, a taxista behind me began honking like mad : he knew the traffic was blocked 20 meters away but still, he had to pass, the road is HIS domain.
The funny thing is that I am sure that this taxista walking with his woman and kid would be the first yelling at people if he was in the opposite situation.

I usually always defend Argentina & Argentineans, they might be good drivers but they lack education.

 

[French jurist]

Another gossip :
I sold my previous motorcycle three months ago to a young Argentinean.
He needed to pass the exam in Pilar so I took him there by curiosity.

The "inspector" took him to a factice street with like 20 panels. The first one was "One way street", he asked the young guy "what's this panel ?". The young guy was stressed, I saw him thinking and he answered "Prohibido de Estacionar".
I couldn't believe my eyes, lol.

Anyway, he didn't succeed and the inspector told him to come back the following week.

In-between too much and nothing, there's a margin !

 

[Santiago F]

We drive pretty well. I think that all those lessons and the high cost of obtaining the drivers´license in some 1st World countries is a kind of a scam, is like a tax. I don´t think that Argentineans drive worse than Spanish or French or US people, we in fact know how to drive in more dangerous situations.

If your last comment is true, it may be because we are exposed to a much greater number of dangerous situations than in those other countries, and that gives drivers "more skill" in those situations, in a way. But in the long run it's worse. Those drivers that are more skilled in dangerous situations tend to be far less skilled in normal situations (which, even in Argentina, are more common).

I really prefer a traffic where most drivers are skilled in basic driving rather than skilled only in dangerous situations.

BTW, I really don't know if it's true that we are more skilled when danger crops up.

 

[French jurist]

Victim number 19 out of 22, year 2010

The motorcyclist was passing the red light, without wearing a helmet.
The colectivero was speeding far above the 60 limit (it took 100 ft to stop the bus).
Hopefully nobody was waiting at the parada