… The Local transportation industryThe recent standoff between government officials and minibus operators plying the East Bank route for what the bus operators regard as a minimal increase, and the government, a non negotiable issue,Cheap Jerseys, has backfired after government officials vetoed the request.In retaliation, the bus operators refused to transport patrons unwilling to fork out the new fare, resulting in hundreds of commuters either reluctantly paying up or being left stranded.Refusing to be browbeaten, Government officials bounced back by providing free transportation for the stranded passengers to break the increases until the drivers come to their senses.Naturally, the bus owners, some with loans to service and most with families to feed, backed down and resumed duties despite the denial of their requests.This is not the first time that these two groups —government and bus drivers—have clashed over increased fares nor is it the first time that the former group has distinguished its power, using strong-arm tactics to quell the imbroglio.The situation returned to some semblance of normalcy after Government officials chartered the buses to transport the stranded commuters, free of cost. While the situation seemed to have been quelled, rest assured that the bus operators will huddle and come up with alternative strategies to counteract the government’s response. More than likely, the government will retaliate with counteractive strategies to discourage the transportation entrepreneurs from having their way.While all this is happening, the hapless passengers would be bounced around like a ball and planning activities that take them to the Garden City would develop into a virtual nightmare. They say that when the elephants are at war, innocent insects feel the brunt of the hooves.When commuters utilised the public transportation subsidised by the government many moons ago, the situation was not so volatile. The big yellow buses and the TATA buses plied a plethora of areas within the various communities, providing reliable transportation for commuters.The unobtrusive disappearance of the buses resulted in the importation of the minibuses as the private corporate entities and individuals sought to capitalise on the vacuum left after government threw in the towel.Ever since the minibuses dominated the transportation industry there has been a change of culture and since such cultures were not regulated from the inception, they became endemic and very soon became the exception rather than the norm.At first, the drivers were given a free rein and were allowed to arbitrarily select their routes for any specific day. This happened until commuters began to complain of discrimination where some areas were left unattended because of the sparse customer base while those areas with a large clientele received more than their fair share of attention.So it was common in those days to have a group of let’s say, seven persons, at the Kitty Terminal awaiting transportation for hours and being ignored while other terminals with a larger clientele received attention as the drivers arbitrarily switched routes to accommodate the numbers.Government officials jumped in, in defense of commuters and the zoning system was born.There were other issues that needed government intervention and among them was the regularisation of the fare structure. Consumers were once again buffeted around as the bus owners increased their prices at the drop of a hat.Sometimes, and this is no exaggeration, minimal increases of even spark plugs attracted an across the board increase in fares. By relinquishing its hold on the transportation industry, the government had also automatically relinquished control over the regularisation of the fare structure.The fluctuating costs of spare parts and fuel led to fluctuating traveling increases and the consumer, with minimal disposable income,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, was naturally placed in a bind— pay up or walk the journey— sometimes to remote villages on the East Coast, East Bank or other far flung areas.Government officials are fully aware that most of the busses in the sector are purchased on a credit plan and the owners risk repossession of their vehicles if they shirk their monthly installment responsibilities. Ceasing operations and retaining a hard-line position until their demands are met would greatly jeopardise their earnings.There is no way that these minibus operators could compete with a government with control over the nation’s purse strings. The former group would, therefore be out-muscled into compliance. But while this is a practical approach, can it be regarded as an appropriate way to deal with the issue?Have all bargaining and other sensible mechanisms been utilised to address these concerns towards an all encompassing resolution?Those that travel to other countries w