COLOMBIA: Country faces transport chaos as bus drivers strike

Record ID: 339345

  • Title: COLOMBIA: Country faces transport chaos as bus drivers strike
  • Date: 2nd March 2010
  • Summary: BOGOTA, COLOMBIA (MARCH 1, 2010) (REUTERS) GENERAL VIEW OF POLICE OFFICERS CLASHING WITH BUS DURING PROTEST POLICE OFFICERS AND BUS DRIVERS FIGHTING VARIOUS OF BUS DRIVERS AND POLICE OFFICERS DURING PROTEST POLICE OFFICERS RUNNING POLICE OFFICERS ARRESTING PROTESTERS POLICE OFFICERS IN PROTEST (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) HEAD OF THE ASSOCIATION OF MINOR TRANSPORTERS, HU
  • Embargoed: 17th March 2010 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Colombia
  • Country: Colombia
  • Topics: Domestic Politics,Transport
  • Reuters ID: LVA7SVL8A3NSN5DV9JSR7WXHWDEP
  • Story Text: Over 16,000 Colombian bus drivers went on strike over new vehicles on Monday (March 01) bringing traffic to a halt in many areas of Bogota.
    Huge crowds were stranded at bus stops and many others were late for work. Only a few buses operated, not nearly enough in this teeming city of over seven million people.
    Bus drivers and public transport businessmen blocked avenues to protest and clashed with riot police, who also had to control angry bus users who threw stones against the parked vehicles.
    Head of the Association of Minor Transporters, Hugo Villamil, said the government wanted to pay trivial prices for the new vehicles that will have to be replaced this year.
    "This (public transportation system) is simply a massacre what the district (government) wants to do, by buying our vehicles for insignificant prices. They talk about a so-called democratization but it is actually a capitalist socialism which the mayor has disguised to destroy us," he said.
    Many Bogota residents had to turn to bicycles, taxis and vans to make it to work.
    "This (protest) affected me in terms of time, money and mobility. Our clients don't wait," said an unidentified Bogota resident.
    Twenty-four people were arrested throughout the city for trashing buses.
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