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Retrenched T&HD workers glum about future
Touts in a mad scramble to secure fares for the minibus ride to the Berbice Bridge
NEW AMSTERDAM , BERBICE – The clock is ticking for workers at the Transport and Harbours Department. Late last month some 40 T&HD workers were issued letters of termination. The termination, according to the letter, becomes effective on January 15, next.
This move comes less than a month after the commissioning of the bridge across the Berbice River.
Yesterday, the few workers at the New Amsterdam Ferry Stelling appeared to be gloomy and vented their frustration on the Kaieteur News Berbice reporter when she attempted to interview them. “You looking fuh we bruk up yuh camera…Don’t point any camera on we. You want we call the police?”
The supervisor on duty declined to comment on the termination, referring all queries to the General Manager at the Head Office.
However, when the issue of the retrenchment surfaced, Works Minister Robeson Benn said that his Ministry had issued no such letters. However, the Amalgamated Transport and General Workers Union had already received copies of the letters from some of the sacked workers.
At a press conference on Monday, the union accused the Works Ministry and Transport and Harbours Department of acting outside the established norms. The authorities, according to the union, said that the decision to terminate the services of the Berbice workers was because of the birth of the Berbice River Bridge, but the union queried the reason for the termination of other workers in areas far removed from the Berbice Bridge.
Recently, the authorities placed a ban on cars, minibuses and other small vehicles from using the ferry service.
This means they must use the Berbice River Bridge and according to some drivers it is affecting them. Minister Robeson said that the cars and minibuses actually paid less than they would have paid had they been confined to the bridge, paying about 25 per cent of what they really should be paying.
He added that the decision also cleared the way for trucks to use the ferry without hindrance.
One driver, who requested anonymity, explained that when the bridge is open to marine traffic they still cannot use the ferry service, “Wha is that? That ain’t right; that is non-sense. All of we did glad fuh the bridge but now the bridge come and is more problems on we. Imagine the bridge close and still we can’t use the ferry.”
The authorities had indicated that many of the drivers attempted to con the system by using the ferry to get to New Amsterdam, thus paying a lower fare than that charged for the bridge, and on their return trip, they use the bridge and enjoy a free ride.
One driver explained that there are times when the opening hours of the bridge are not accurate and as such more time is wasted. “We spend all them years where we had to put up with the Transport workers digging bribe outta we and waiting fuh hours fuh cross and now the bridge come and we thought that woulda be the answer – but we was dead wrong. Is sheer punishment in this land.”
Commuters on the other hand are feeling the squeeze. “The bridge is only fuh them people wid money; not fuh we poor people,” said one woman.
It is the view of many that the toll to cross the river is too high. Some commuters are asked to pay as much as $500 from the New Amsterdam Ferry Stelling to the Palmyra end of the Bridge.
The fare to Georgetown via the Berbice River Bridge, from the New Amsterdam Stelling, using a minibus is now $1,000 and cars would be between $1,300 and $1,500 as against the old $700 and $1,000 respectively.
(Melissa Johnson)
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