Lack of Buses causing outrage in Marbella

THERE has been a great deal of discussion in Marbella about the local buses and their safety or lack thereof which has prompted a demand from the Union involved and both Ciudadanos and PSOE for greater security for drivers.

It would appear that in the last month there have been three assaults on drivers and therefore it has been suggested that not only should cameras be installed on every bus but the actual status of the drivers should be upgraded so that any assault would carry a greater punishment.

One of the reasons given for the unexpected raise in assaults has been that the number of buses and their frequency is too low and those waiting to travel become angry in the excessive heat which then leads to furious exchanges between passengers and drivers.

It is further suggested that all buses should display posters warning passengers about the need for them to act in a proper manner and also to highlight the punishment if they don’t.

It was noted also that numbers of travellers have doubled in the past months not only because of the influx of tourists but because some 55,000 residents in Marbella now have the right to travel free and some of the terse exchanges may be because passengers who can travel free don’t understand how to use their travel cards.

Although the council does not necessarily accept that there is a serious problem, it has been revealed that a number of Local Police officers dressed in civilian clothes have started riding on selected routes in order to be on hand if there is a problem which needs to be dealt with immediately.

In the meantime, a new service from Bello Horizonte to La Cañada has been introduced and the mayor Ángeles Muñoz was on hand to see its first journey and to chat with passengers.