PTSC investigating bus theft

WORKS and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan says the Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC) is investigating the theft of one of its vehicles in Chaguanas on Monday which was later used to ram into a number of vehicles.

He was responding to a question in Senate yesterday from Opposition Senator Wade Mark on what measures are in place to ensure PTSC vehicles are properly secure in light of the theft.

Sinanan said PTSC was currently conducting an investigation into the breach to identify any gap in standard operating procedures and will take immediate and appropriate action to mitigate against any further breaches. Mark asked if security measures were in place at the PTSC compound in Chaguanas during the theft.

Sinanan said: “PTSC has and continues to protect all its asset, its security at all their depots to ensure the safety and security of those assets. So yes there was security in place at the time.”

Mark said Allied Security Services receives $1 million per month from PTSC and taxpayers and asked whether this company was on the compound when the theft occurred. Sinanan said he had no knowledge of which security firm was on the compound and added PTSC has several contractors.

“Mark may have more information than me who was there.”

Mark then asked what immediate relief will be provided to people who suffered losses or injuries as a result of the theft. Sinanam said PTSC was awaiting advice on the coverage from its insurers for the damage caused by the man who obtained unauthorised access to one of its buses.

Mark asked how may citizens were injured or harmed in the incident but Sinanan said the ministry was awaiting the full report from PTSC which will have the details on what happened and he did not want to pre-empt any information.

Mark then asked if Sinanan visited any areas where incidents occurred.

Sinanan responded: “As Minister of Works sometimes you have to respect the lines you can cross.”

He said it was a police matter and police were on the scene. He said he wrote to PTSC requesting a full investigation and once this comes to hand the ministry can go forward.

In the incident one woman narrowly escaped death and another is nursing injuries after the Longdenville man hijacked a PTSC bus and used it as a weapon ploughing into several vehicles in its path before coming to an abrupt end when it crashed into a house at Cashew Gardens, some 11.1 km away from where it was taken on Monday morning. Officers who were giving chase when the 55-year old suspect took the vehicle from the PTSC garage opposite the Chaguanas police station, were only able to intercept when he crashed into the flat, blue concrete house. They pulled him out of the stolen bus, along with the injured homeowner and took them to the district health facility before transferring them to the hospital.

The 30-minute drama started around 3 am, when the man, police believe may have mental issues, walked into the PTSC garage and commandeered the vehicle, registration number HCC 1018. Police were alerted by security on the compound, as the man drove the vehicle out of the garage and in the opposite direction on the one-way street.