|
|
|
||
|
|
|||
|
Petitioning passenger . . .
Regular bus user Sharon McIntosh shows the petition she has organised to try
and keep driver Lloyd Walsh in his job. Mr Walsh faces suspension of his
passenger licence for a conviction more than 30 years ago. One of bus driver Lloyd
Walsh’s passengers has started a petition to save his licence. Mr Walsh (50) received
notification from Land Transport New Zealand this week that his passenger
class licence would be suspended indefinitely for a conviction of carnal
knowledge. He was convicted of the
offence when he was 16 after sleeping with his girlfriend two days before her
16th birthday. Mr Walsh, of Dunedin
Passenger Transport, has since revealed he also had convictions for theft and
driving while disqualified, received during his teenage years. However, Sharon
McIntosh, a Corstorphine resident and frequent traveller on Mr Walsh’s bus
route, said she was angry that Mr Walsh had no right of appeal and felt she
had to do something to help. “I’m disgusted. Many of
the people on Lloyd’s bus are mortified by his treatment. What he did is
something many of us have done when we were 16. We’ve all done silly things
at that age, but they shouldn’t come back to haunt us after 30 years.” Mrs McIntosh (51) said
the petition would be sent to Parliament in the hope amendments could be made
to the law so people like Mr Walsh would not get into the same situation. “I want the petition to
show that the people of Dunedin want Lloyd to continue as a bus driver. What
has happened to him is so unfair,” she said. Dunedin Passenger
Transport operations manager Phil Boel said he would allow Mrs McIntosh to
travel free on the Corstorphine/Wakari/Helensburgh route with Mr Walsh, to
collect signatures for the petition. Land Transport New
Zealand media manager Andy Knackstedt said the list of passenger class
drivers receiving suspensions was compiled after Land Transport New Zealand
gave a list of all 36,000 P endorsement holders to the Ministry of Justice. Originally, this list
was cut back to 400 by Ministry of Justice computers, which checked for
specified crimes against the names on the list, he said. That list was then
checked by individuals at LTNZ to make sure the convictions posted against
each name were ones specified by the Act. As a result, letters were sent to
209 P endorsement holders informing them their licences had expired. “We don’t have a choice
in this matter. We are simply the messenger. It is our job to apply the
legislation as it was written and approved by Parliament.” Minister for Transport
Safety Harry Duynhoven said changes to the Land Transport Act 1998 had been
made to increase public safety, so that people travelling on passenger
services at night or alone could feel safe around passenger service workers. “The legislative
changes referred to were unanimously supported by the transport and
industrial relations select committee, and subsequently by all parties in the
House in June 2005. The changes come into force on January 16, 2006.” Mr Duynhoven said Mr Lloyd’s
case had been brought to his attention and advice was being sought as to what
processes may be available to address “the particular issues raised”. Mr Walsh said he had
been inundated with support from family, friends and members of the public. “I’ve been at work
today and I’ve been stunned by the amount of people getting on the bus and
saying ‘we’re right behind you mate’. “I’ve been driven to
tears by the situation — it’s making me very emotional. “But the support people
have shown makes me feel stronger. It means a lot.” |
