I am writing to express concern about the recent fire at the West Bus Station. While it is fortunate that the incident did not result in greater loss, it raises serious questions about the lack of safety measures and vehicle maintenance standards at the facility.
From observations and reports, it seems that inadequate fire prevention systems and poor oversight of vehicle upkeep may have contributed to the outbreak and spread of the fire. With thousands of passengers depending on the station daily, the absence of proper safety protocols, inspections, and emergency preparedness is unacceptable.
This incident should serve as a wake-up call for the relevant authorities to immediately enforce stricter vehicle maintenance checks, implement fire safety systems, and ensure proper training for both staff and operators. Without these measures, the risk of another — possibly more devastating — incident remains high.
I urge the Ministry of Transport, the Transport Board, and other stakeholders to treat this as a priority and take concrete steps to safeguard public transportation hubs.
Saiyan
The bus service commission needs to ensure that inspection and maintenance of the buses are properly maintained.
There are so many buses in the route from St John’s to English Harbour.
I hereby suggest that half of that amount run on specific days. The bus drivers would earn more money and the buses would be maintained properly.
Sure! Love-ill to the rescue! Don’t get consumed in the fire, though. But then again, why not? What was I thinking???
I agree with this letter 100%. If the government and transport board can still allow Max Hurst car to be on the road then many unsafe busses could be driving out there.
Bear in mind that Max car is his own personal vehicle! Public buses should have a standard check to ensure safety to the passengers that they carry. Some of the buses out here are worst that max car! If Max doesn’t care about his safety then that’s fine. But the safety of passengers matters
These buses most certainly need to be maintained. Heck, I was riding on one that was smoking so bad I could swear I had carbon monoxide poisoning. I’m sure taxi drivers at the airport and private hires have to show evidence of maintenance so should bus drivers because every life is precious.
Station staff need to know evacuation procedures. Passengers were left to panic instead of being guided to safety
They need proper fire extinguishers and sprinklers at the station. A hub with that much traffic shouldn’t be operating without fire suppression systems
Interesting prospective
Don’t they carry fire extinguishers?just asking.
Time to invest in smoke detectors, extinguishers, and clear evacuation routes in all public spaces.
Relieved to hear everyone is safe. Still, lessons must be learned to prevent another fire
Transport board should have checks on these buses every month. But let’s not say much cause we won’t see changes