Transport Minister Ro Filipe Tuisawau has disclosed that the government is considering a review of the minimum age requirement for Public Service Vehicle drivers.

This is in response to the escalating number of road accidents involving public service vehicles,

Concerns were also raised by Opposition Member of Parliament Jone Usamate, who emphasized the critical importance of upholding safety standards in public transport.

Usamate pointed out that in the past month alone, there were four accidents involving buses, with three of them resulting in fatalities.

He believes a number of factors are affecting safety on public transport.

“I once sat on a bus. There’s a place for two people. One person was sitting there, and for me, when I sat on the seat, only one-quarter of me could fit. So I had to turn this way and sit. It’s extremely discomforting riding in our buses today. Something’s happened. Even the buses have got smaller, our people have got much bigger, or both.”

Usamate says in addition to the condition of the buses, driving skills and standards are also factors contributing to safety concerns.

“Most of the fatalities are because of overspeeding and it seems we’re putting some good measures. We’ve got a defensive driving training program. You can get training, you can get certification, but it seems this is not working so well

Transport Minister Ro Filipe Tuisawau assures that measures are being taken.

“The Honorable member had mentioned the quality assurance systems QAMS, and over the last four months, 18 out of 61 bus companies underwent rigorous QAMS. So these are some of the measures which we are currently undertaking.”

Ro Filipe says they aim to strike a balance that ensures both passenger safety and the well-being of the drivers.