by Edwin Fidelis – EM TV, Lae
PMV buses in Lae’s back-road area will stop all their services in protest over ongoing criminal activities in the city.
Bus drivers and owners are expected to present a petition to the Morobe Provincial government demanding tighter security measures in the city.
This follows ongoing armed holdups and assault on bus drivers and crews members.
Most of the buses, owned by highlanders, will ask the Morobe Provincial Government to put an end to violence inflicted on PMV buses.
“We have had enough on petty crimes, armed holdups and damaging our buses… We want that to end,” said Sam Maya, a local community leader at Lae’s back road suburb.
Several PMV buses, belonging to Western Highalnders, were burnt along the Malanhang industrial zone early this year in an hit and run incident.
Also, the bus owners will ask the provincial government to put an end to regionalism- an issue that has evolved, following the 2008 ethnic clash between highlanders and Morobeans.
The Morobe Governor, Kelly Naru meanwhile has made a plea to the Lae public to take ownership of Lae’s law and order problem, and asked for public support.
“I want churches, businesses, schools, to see Lae and order in our city as everybody’s problem. It’s not always the problem that will be looked into by the police force. I’m calling for public support,” Naru said.
Naru’s comment follows public concerns on a rise in petty crimes and other related crime incidents that has stirred fear within Lae communities.
