Dear Editor,
Are you well travelled? How many countries have you visited? Five? Ten? Twenty? Well Editor, I have only visited three countries in my 43 years on this earth. And two of them have been industrialized countries - the United States and Canada. But notwithstanding my limited travel experiences, I have come to the conclusion that the manner in which the citizenry of the different cities within these countries utilize their public transportation is comforting and efficient.
You see, Editor, Americans and Canadians, upon entering a public bus pay the driver (with exact change) before taking their seats. There is no confusion as to your ability to pay when you would have already reached your destination; and there is no cumbersomeness with regard to payment with non-exact change.
However, Editor, in The Bahamas it is markedly different. I have been advised that there are laws on the "books" of The Bahamas that regulate the payment of fares on public transportation, which include mandatory payment of (exact) fares before taking your seat to ride the bus. But does that happen? Very rarely. The popular culture in The Bahamas is to pay your fare after you would have reached your destination and exit the bus.
It is also common in The Bahamas for bus drivers to offer change to passengers who do not carry exact fares. Should it be that way? I contend that it should not. These modern practices of our riding public cause our public transportation system to be uncomfortable and inefficient. However, I am not naive. I know the reasons why our citizens engage in the practice of paying fares after and not before:
o Almost everybody pays afterward; and if I pay before, I don't know if the driver will remember that I have already paid.
o If I pay before, and the bus does not reach my destination (for whatever reason), will I get my money back so that I can take another bus?
These are legitimate reasons to pay your fare afterward and not before. However, might I suggest to the Road Traffic Department that it engage in a comprehensive and ubiquitous advertising campaign for one year - the purpose of which would be to encourage the public to pay their fares before entering a bus. Part of the encouragement should include:
o A reminder that it is the law.
o Educating Bahamians, residents and tourists who now probably do not know that paying your fare before riding the bus entitles you to insurance coverage. Non-paying passengers are not covered by public bus insurance carriers in the event there is a serious accident.
o An assurance that passengers will get a refund in the event the bus is unable to transport them to their intended destination.
o The fare for taking a bus is now $1.25.

Educate the riding public that the department will "artificially" increase the fare for taking public transportation to $2 (a suggestion). Passengers will only be required to pay $2 if they choose to pay after reaching their destination or if they pay in a manner which would require change being offered by the bus driver. Otherwise, they would be required to pay the $1.25.
o Educate the riding public that the department will cause to be fashioned and subsequently cause to be offered unique bus tokens for sale throughout the country that would serve as currency to ride the bus.
It is my considered opinion that this (suggested) "artificial" fare increase and this (suggested) advertising campaign would serve to cause the practice of paying afterward to cease in The Bahamas, and our public transportation system would become more in line with the first world.
- Marvin G. Lightbourn

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