Rhondor Dowlat-Rostant
What was meant as a four-part video series to highlight a major security breach at the compound of the Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC) where a bus can be easily stolen, among his colleagues turned out to be a public spectacle when it was leaked in the public's domain via social media.
Speaking with the Guardian Media on Tuesday, the PTSC employee, who strapped his camera phone on his arm and recorded how easy it was for someone to steal a bus from City Gate, said he did it to show his colleagues that a recent protocol change by management, in fact, turned out to be a "big loophole."
The employee said previously the buses go through a series of safety and security checks together with drivers but now, two weeks ago that procedure was stopped.
"I was assigned a bus carrying a fleet number HMC13. When assigned we have to do a visual to ensure tyres and mirrors are up to mark and after this is pleased with, the bus is then taken to the professionals in the front line, the engineering department, to do a mechanical check and if the engineers are satisfied that the bus is roadworthy then the driver is to proceed to the security for another check to ensure that nothing is leaving the compound with the bus or the driver is not trying to steal anything then the driver can make his way to the cue where he would load his passengers."
"However, management decided that they are going to bypass all that and them will check the bus in the night and then they will put it in the cue. I saw that the bus was unattended too. I questioned if I'm the bus driver why it isn't checked. I saw the bus in darkness in Bay 4 with the door open. I'm very upset knowing that a bus was stolen in Chaguanas some months ago, a bus was stolen some years ago in South Trinidad and in Tobago and now I'm seeing another loophole where a bus can be stolen again. So I did the videos to show the loophole but this was only sent to my colleagues in our Whatsapp group. The videos were then leaked outside the group causing a lot of comments from the public but I did not steal the bus, " the PTSC employee added.
In an immediate response to the videos of the alleged bus theft, the PTSC sent out a release stating that an investigation has been launched.
The organization described the videos as "disturbing," "the Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC) wishes to address the disturbing videos circulating on social media that emanated from a PTSC Bus Driver who, without authorisation, drove one of our buses out of the Port of Spain compound on May 11th 2020."
"Preliminary reports have so far revealed that the bus was stolen from the PTSC’s Port-of-Spain depot. In fact, it was this said driver who took the bus, exited the Port of Spain compound and proceeded to drive along City Gate in a westerly direction, returning the bus to the PTSC compound a few minutes thereafter," the statement added.
The Corporation said it viewed the actions as "mischievous and malicious," "as we believe that the driver sought to vent his displeasure over a recently instituted change in our operations. This change was implemented to improve the on-time departure of all our early morning services leaving Port of Spain."
"The PTSC assures the public that this matter is being fully investigated and any gaps identified in our processes will be quickly addressed. The serious nature of this breach requires us to report the matter forthwith to the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service who will conduct its own investigation," the PTSC release stated.
Asked about the contents of the release, the PTSC employee said he was briefed on it but still insisted that he did not steal the bus. He added that he has since been in contact with police officers from the Central Police Station on the matter.
He also said that PTSC did tell him that an investigation has been launched and that he will hear from them of their findings on May 29.
"I wait to hear what they have to say to me then but so far, the procedures that we had before with all the checks in the presence of the bus drivers have been reintroduced again so maybe a good has come out of this and a possible theft has been preempted," the PTSC employee said.
Other employees at the PTSC claimed that recently there has been a high turnover in managers and believed that the current leadership is allegedly causing rifts and loopholes in the system.
"Well a senior official in Engineering was sent home before completing his probationary period and he was doing a great job during the COVID-19 process. We were told that he even used his own money, his own initiative and did a fantastic job. He was also making head waves to bring the engineering department up to standard so from the staff at the PTSC we want to thank him for an excellent performance he displayed during his little time with us," an employee said.
"Nevertheless we have a chairman who is (allegedly) not allowing management to manage. First time we're seeing a chairman so actively involved in the day-to-day affairs of the company. We have changed about three deputy general managers in the past five years. Also, the marketing manager's contract wasn't renewed. We still don't have an HR manager in which we change about five HR managers in four years. Also, we don't have a general manager. The finance manager is acting as the general manager," the employee added, who wished strict anonymity for fear of victimization.
The employee said that all employees at PTSC believe that due to the high turnover of management within the PTSC within a short space of time that it "begs to give the perception of Mismanagement and incompetence of the Board."
"So, therefore, the change really needed at this time would be having the chairman and maybe other board members removed because clearly there is now being created further internal rumblings and a poor industrial relation climate...high compensation packages through the court where these same manager exercises there right due to claims of wrongful dismissal," the employee added.
Acting deputy general manager, Engineering Esther Sookoo-Pierre when contacted for comment regarding the alleged PTSC bus theft videos, up to press time on Tuesday, did not respond to questions sent to her What's App. Also contacted for comment was PTSC's chairman Edwin Gooding, however, he also did not respond up to press time on Tuesday.
PTSC's chairman Edwin Gooding clarified that there was a change in operating procedure only for the first early morning trips, "This change involved the buses being checked by the same frontline professionals the night before and certified for the roadworthiness of the buses. The difference in procedure is the bus is placed on the departure bay early in the morning."
"In this way when customers arrive to catch the first bus, the bus is prepped and ready to go. In the past, drivers would
conveniently go to “look for a bus” which always resulted in delays and late departures, " Gooding added.
Gooding disclosed that the driver who appeared on the video was "protesting the new changes which we feel are in the best interest of the commuters."
He, however, added that "there is still the responsibility of the driver to make sure the bus has a valid inspection certificate and is in good working order before he drives the bus."
In response to the senior official in Engineering that was sent home, Gooding said: "A probationary period of employment is standard in any employment contract. Based on satisfactory performance the employee will be confirmed. The converse is also true."
"We have had three HR Deputy General managers during the last 3-4 years. The first resigned after one year the contract of the second was terminated during the probationary period and the third resigned abruptly for health reasons. During the tenure of this board, the completion of performance appraisals for all staff was reintroduced on a semi-annual and annual basis in the corporation and as such it is becoming a performance-driven organization, " he added.
In response for calls for the chairman and board directors to resign, Gooding said: "The PTSC has a critical role to play in the lives of the most vulnerable in our society and those who can only afford a bus fare. The taxpayers of this country pay significant sums of money to pay the PTSC workers to deliver a service which the public considers substandard at this time. This must change."
"The board and management accept that the challenge to change the old mindset of the employees to give a fair days work for a fair days pay. This has not been an easy journey but there are many committed and hardworking employees who want to go the extra mile to provide a service we all will be proud of. But resistance to change runs deep in the PTSC. I am passionate about what I do and as long as I am Chairman, I will continue to use my knowledge and experience to lead a committed board to make appropriate policy decisions to guide the management team to improve the competency of the staff to deliver a service to our commuters that will improve their quality of life as they go about their daily lives travelling to work, to school or for their leisure," he added.