Panama City Protest- Addreses Public Transportation Crisis
Panama City, Panama- Pubic Transportation in Need of Change
Recently, the press has been filled with claims against Panamanian President Martín Torrijos, stating that his promises for an improved public transit system have gone unfulfilled. Judging by the current state of affairs, its seems to be sad, but true. The public has spoken and will rally tomorrow, Sunday, March 30, at 3 pm. near Hotel El Panama in protest.
While public protests are one way of drawing attention to the problem, others have also taken it in their hands to make a change where the government has not. Yesterday, the Association of Business Executives of Panama (APEDE) held a forum to discuss the public transportation problem and create a resolution. Though no resolution has been publicly announced to-date, addressing the problem is the first step.
This rallying of the Panamanian people was provoked after Torrijos publicly stated that the country does not have the economic funding to create an alternative to the problem.
Yet the problem is grave. Over the past week, La Prensa has reported complaints against the public buses, known as diablos rojos (called this for a reason), which include: infrequent bus schedules, break downs, and a two hour commute for a 15 kilometer bus ride.
| Written by cailey |
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Filed under: News, Politics on March 29th, 2008
Every day it is noticable just how bad the transportation sitation is becoming. We need an electric train, more roads and some limits on 1 person car use in downtown Panama City. We’re quickly on our way to Brazil-type gridlock otherwise.
2:30 pm- Via Espana- I wait for half an hour to get a taxi.
3:30 pm- Calle 50- I take the first cab who picks me up, we go 10 minutes out of my way to drop another lady off. We pick up another woman who says she’s been waiting 45 minutes for the bus. We pass through an area were people are frantically hailing cabs, while others despondently wait for the bus.
11:30 pm- Calle Uruguay- I get in a cab as a huge crow of people again are waiting for a bus.
Something’s up. It’s not right.