Meri Seif Bus switches to Pacific Games duty

 By Eunar Noreen Karatu

THE Meri Seif Bus used to go to work and back but it is going to the Games now.

The bus service has been changed but it is still carrying women and girls in Port Moresby.

Its routine of carrying passengers to work and back has been switched to transporting females during the Pacific Games.

Ginigoada Bisnis Development Foundation sponsorship and liaison officer Anisa Paruru Sakep said the bus operated from 6.30am to 6.30pm but Ginigoada has scheduled a new routine purposely for the Games.

She said the “big purple” is operating for two weeks from 7am to 7pm each day.

She said the purpose of having the bus on the road was to provide transport service for females, especially mothers with babies and students who had difficulties catching a PMV (public motor vehicle) at peak times.

She said with the difficulties in transportation and limited number of buses available the organisation has decided to extend its services to women and girls during the Games.  

She said it was a free service. 

“This is a free service sponsored by the National Capital District Commision, PricewaterhouseCoopers and ExxonMobil in partnership with the Ginigoada Foundation,” she said.

Sakep said the new route of the bus during the Games will be from the Sir John Guise Stadium (Vision City bus stop), Boroko, Jack Pidik Park, Bisini, Taurama, Gerehu and the University of Papua New Guinea.

She thanked Port Moresby Chamber Commerce Industry for providing support and for extending the pickup time for  women in the city.

The bus services is an initiative of NCDC under the Yumi Lukautim Morsbi Projek (You plus me look after Moresby project) to stop violence against women and girls.  

It provides services to girls, women and women with babies and children.