PLTA needs formal reports to act on complaints

The Public Land Transport Authority (PLTA) has stated that it will not launch investigations based solely on social media posts, and will only take action upon receiving a formal complaint.

This statement is a response to an anonymous post on Facebook alleging that a bus driver harassed a female passenger. PLTA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Reginald Thabie emphasized the necessity of receiving a formal report before any action can be taken.

Mr. Thabie stated, "We are waiting for the person who posted the post to come to the office and file a formal report. So far, we have not received any formal complaints, so we cannot take action." He added that the PLTA does not rely on social media posts for investigations because the veracity of such claims cannot be verified. "We cannot take reports from Facebook. We don’t want to start an investigation based on a post, only to find out it is false."

He also pointed out that in many past cases, individuals who made accusations on social media failed to file formal complaints. "Sometimes, after following up on these posts, we find that the claims are baseless, or the complainant never comes forward to report the case, leading to a standstill in the investigation," he added.

The PLTA has the capability to track and identify bus drivers, but Thabie stressed that the complainant must also be present to provide testimony. "Most of the time, we will bring the driver in for questioning, but the person making the accusation does not show up. Without their presence, we cannot verify the claims, and the driver can simply deny the allegations," he explained. Regarding the specific case mentioned on social media, he said, "We have seen the post about the alleged harassment, but we need details before we can take action."

The CEO reiterated that formal complaints are crucial for any case involving driver misconduct. "If a formal report is submitted and proven to be true, we will take legal action against the driver and refer the case to the courts," he said.