Upon the insistence by the Public Transport Association (ATP) that tests on the exhaust emissions by buses should be carried out by the bus drivers or owners themselves, in the presence of an ADT official, the ADT replied that it is senseless to make such a request.

If this were to happen, ADT said in a statement, it would be like someone going for an exam after he himself prepared the exam paper, acts as a supervisor and then corrects the paper too. Unthinkable.

Why the ATP has made such a demand in the ongoing dispute it has with the ADT on exhaust emissions is rather strange, as it was to be expected that the ADT turns it down. How can the bus drivers expect to carry out tests on their own buses?

Their request to see the qualifications of the officials who are contracted by the ADT to carry out such tests makes a little bit more sense, and the ADT has in fact made it clear that it is willing to accept this. Other than that, the ATP cannot expect to be given the preferential treatment it is requesting.

But the ADT made a stronger implication in its statement to counter another that was issued by the ATP. All buses are tested for their roadworthiness, but the “exaggerated” emissions are a result of “changes or additions” that are made after the VRT test, the ADT said. Which is to say that buses are being modified after passing a VRT test, although the ADT stops short of giving any more details.

In this regard, the ADT must be more specific and should most of all investigate the matter even further.

Public transport has been a controversial subject for many years. Industrial action has been taken on several occasions in the past years, many times because the bus drivers wanted to increase the fares. And although very often bus drivers got their way as the price of bus tickets increased, this has on the whole not been followed by an overall improvement in the service.

Now, the ATP is once again threatening industrial action, this time because of the way bus emissions tests are being carried out. Bus drivers have been instructed not to take their bus for emissions tests – which are different from the VRT tests – until the association’s requests are met.

Perhaps the ATP would do better to see why 58 of the 98 buses that were tested between January and March failed. This is not surprising, as any driver following buses and passengers who make use of the service knows that many of the vehicles emit excessive fumes. It is enough to say that one particular bus was reported 108 times in 12 weeks.

Bus drivers know that public opinion is not in their favour on this one. Pro-environment NGOs have also issued a statement urging the public to support the stand taken by the government, in a bid to create a cleaner and healthier environment around us.

And bus owners cannot expect to be treated differently from other car owners – if all private vehicle owners are requested to carry out VRT tests every so often and could be asked to take their vehicle for an emissions test if the ADT receives reports that it is emitting excessive fumes, then bus drivers should be no different.

Just as much as private car owners do no test their own vehicle themselves, then bus drivers should not expect to do so either.