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Aug 22, 2018 Letters
Dear Editor,
No matter how frustrated I had become with the system or how encouraged I was by someone who, like me, is angered by the decisions of the relevant authorities, I have tried my best to avoid penning any correspondence in the media concerning the issue of public transportation here in our dear land of Guyana.
I had confidence, knowing that the situations affecting the aforementioned system was and is well known to the relevant authorities, that it would be handled in a manner that best suited all parties involved.
As you can imagine since you’re reading this letter, my confidence was unfounded.
Article headlined “Minibus fare increases by $20 from Sept 1” that appeared in the Kaieteur Newspaper dated August 21st 2018, says it all.
It is no secret in Guyana, that when oil prices rise, the minibus drivers and operators or other means of public transportation, surface and call upon the government of the day to increase the fare so that they can better financially handle the demands of increased oil prices. Further, it is also no secret, that when oil prices decrease, the fares raised to accommodate the increase in oil prices, remain the same. And when oil prices increase again (because such is the nature with the sector), the operators again surface for a further increase in fare and thus is the cycle.
It is appalling that the government would increase the fare by however minimum the figure, after considering only, the minibus operators’ plight. The article cited states that after a meeting between the United Minibus Union (UMU) and the Ministry of Business, it was agreed that a $20 fare increase will be applied from September 1st 2018.
Editor, of all the issues affecting the efficiency of the public transportation system, I would think that the other issues would be resolved within the system first before any talks are entertained about a hike in fare!
Of the most important, there needs to be a constant police presence at the minibus parks around the city. I am cognizant of the fact that there are police outposts, but the presence of traffic officers only at peak time is just simply not good enough. On an average day, traffic officers can be seen on the various parks in the morning hours ensuring that minibus operators do not fill their buses with passengers on the ‘hot plate’. As soon as those ranks leave, the practice is continued without fear of consequences. Touts all but short of harass passengers into minibuses, blocking their paths, shouting at them, and some have gone so far as to curse passengers who refuse to enter the minibuses being filled on the hot plate. It has even gone so far Editor, to the point where some passengers have been black-listed by touts and minibus operators. What does this mean? Any commuter would tell you: for failure to travel with a hot plate minibus, for refusing to ‘small-up-yourself’ so that they can fit more than the allotted number of passengers into the minibus, for insisting that a minibus driver slow down, for insisting that the minibus operators lower the volume of and take off the base of the sound systems in their buses – that truly belong in discos – would mean that you, the passenger, are the problem and to avoid the ‘problem’ they must avoid you. So in essence, they’ll pass you on the road in the mornings albeit they have the space, and in afternoons they’ll fill their buses and not include you, because like I would have stated, you are the problem!
It is simple to state ‘oh well, do not travel with such buses, problem solved’ but such could only be described as victim blaming. The law regulates the number of passengers a minibus can transport at any given time; the law regulates the volume by which minibuses can play their music; the law forbids hot plate filling; the law forbids speeding and dangerous driving (sometimes on the parapets of roads). No passenger should have to endure any of the aforementioned treatment by any minibus operator whether that passenger is seconded by others or stand alone.
Granted all drivers are not the same, and truly deserve the increase in fare, because those are the men that are stuck in the lines for hours before they get a trip, following the law to a T, but as the saying goes, one bad apple…
Further Editor, it must be noted that there is no regularized system by which minibus operators pay income/revenue tax.
Finally, some minibus operators have taken it upon themselves, to unilaterally increase the fare dependent upon the time of day, holidays, weekends and whatever else tickles their fancy. Is their fare going to be increased as well?
To increase fare by however minimum the figure, without first adequately addressing the highlighted issues means only a reward for the operators and a further endurance of an unwarranted punishment by passengers.
Yours sincerely,
Cynthia Rutherford
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