Commuters’ plight on the E.C.D

Jun 02, 2011 Letters

Dear Editor,
It is with great dismay that I pen this letter regarding the public transportation system on the East Coast of Demerara.
I am a resident of Annandale, East Coast Demerara. For ages now the public transportation system, more so, the operators of the route 44 minibuses, especially those plying the strasphey-Annandale- Georgetown route have shown no concern for the commuters travelling to Georgetown, especially between the hours of 6:30am and 9am. This is the period when most of the workers leave for work.
A minibus will leave Georgetown passengers stranded on the public road, saying that they are ‘going short’, even though they are heading to Georgetown. It is understandable that they make almost, if not doubled the money they would usually make on one direct trip to Georgetown at these hours of the morning.
Why must we lose at the expense of them gaining? A nine o’clock worker leaves home at least two hours before work and still reaches half an hour or more, one and a half hour is spent waiting, even though scores of buses pass within that time, the other half hour is spent on the highway, and this is a best case scenario.
The operators of these buses fail to realise, that it is these same passengers that will travel back with them at the end and during the course of the day. It is also these same passengers that will give them more than three quarters of their money at the end of the day. They are so dependent on these commuters yet in the mornings the operators behave as though they are insignificant. Where is the ethics in this?
Is it that all these operators are concerned about is the money? They complain about increase in gas and maintenance cost, they demand a $20 dollars increase in fares, and strike when they don’t get it. A $20 increase is 20% on their income. Such an increase for other public servants is a dream! They fail to realise that it is not them alone who are affected by such increases in cost of living in general, how much PAYE do they pay at the end of the month?
It is our taxes that build and maintain the roads for them, when the government subsidizes gasoline, it is our taxes that are really paying for this. Isn’t there a minibus operators’ union? Is it that the union is only the mouthpiece when they feel the need to increase fares? Why not teach them about ethics and their responsibility to commuters?
It is such inefficiencies and selfishness that keep our economy crawling. Maybe if workers can get to work on time and push in the extra, the economy can be a little more productive. Maybe even a state owned transportation service is something to consider. All concerned citizens, we should stand up for our rights, and we must let the owners of the ‘selfish’ public transportation service on the East Coast know that without us, they are nowhere. Kudos to those operators who show concern and they are but few!
M. De Souza

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