October 16, 2012Dear Sir,Safety, care and concern for passengers on our buses seem to have been relegated to “bygone days”.For several months I have reported to the Dept of Public Transportation (DPT) Supervisors, my concerns regarding the excessive speed of bus drivers on the St George’s to Hamilton route, of which I travel. This past week I experienced the most “reckless, irresponsible” drive by a bus driver from Bailey’s Bay to Hamilton; he sped not only on the narrow roads, but around all corners on the route, the most dangerous being near Police Beach outside of Flatts Village; his speed caused him to drive past several bus stops before stopping for passengers. Upon my arrival at the Bus Terminal, I inquired of the driver, why was there a need for such excessive speed? His response to me was, “the bus was overheating — he wasn’t going to stop — this was his last run — and he was bringing the bus in”. I simply stated, “if the bus is already overheating, wouldn’t your excessive speed create a more dangerous situation, not only for yourself, but also for the passengers — a possible fire in the engine”. I did report this incident to two DPT Supervisors.Gone are the days when our bus drivers were once considered “ambassadors” for our Island? I presently work in Concierge, at one of our local resorts, and almost daily our guests have shared their experiences of having “roller coaster” rides on our buses; some have been so frightened by the excessive speed, that they are reluctant to use their bus passes for future travel.It appears that SPEEDING is the norm for many of our bus drivers, and to avoid being reported, their name plates are rarely displayed, (my observation). Shouldn’t it be a mandatory practice that name plates be displayed? Didn’t Government invest in the purchasing of these plates? My most recent experience on the bus forces me to raise these additional questions: Does DPT have a system to monitor the speed of bus drivers? Can and should police officers issue speeding tickets to bus drivers? Lastly, I believe there IS a direct correlation between the “reckless” driving of buses with the number of “breakdowns” and mechanical problems of our buses.On a more positive note, I would like to conclude by stating that I have had the pleasure of driving with bus drivers who are “true ambassadors” for Bermuda: Mr Dwayne Smith-should be designated as Driver of the Year, not only is he quite hospitable, but he generally knows your name, he asks about your family members, and is always kind and courteous to our visitors; Mr E.A. Thompson is an excellent driver with the students attending schools in the East End; Mr H.M. DeShields; Ms Tamika Simons; Mr C.B.A. Harvey; Mr S.L. Nusum; Mrs Colleen Smith; Ms K.S. Butterfield are all excellent drivers, they are very courteous and helpful to our visitors. Please keep doing what you’re doing!I am yearning for those “bygone days” that reflected politeness, courtesy, pride, care and safety that was uniquely Bermudian!Sincerely,E. WILLIAMS