RACING TO THE NEXT ACCIDENT

Jul 21, 2011 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

The big buses, those that seat thirty or more passengers at any one time, did not survive the competition with minibuses. The owners had to pack up and leave. The competition was too hot to handle. Guyana with its hundreds of villages strung out along the coast was never the sort of setting for big bus commute.
The time those buses took to pull off from one stop, was the same time that the minibuses would take traverse a few villages. The smaller buses moved faster and had a quicker rate of pickups and drop-offs. The population therefore went for the smaller buses since it meant shorter transportation times.
The minibuses in turn have gone out of their way to contract these times. These buses have reduced the time it takes to get from point A to point B not just because they wish to please their customers by delivering them to their destination in the shortest possible time, but also because the faster they complete a trip, the more trips they can make. And the more trips they make, the more money rolls in.
Some minibus conductors when faced with sanctions over their lawless actions, defend their right to make a living by insisting that things are not rosy as it seems and that they are merely “making a hustle”.
This caused one Minister of the government to observe that these buses are hustling with the lives of their passengers.
This hustle is what forced the big buses to pack up and leave. It no longer made economic sense to continue. As such there is no competition for the minibuses and many of them therefore have little incentive to improve their safety record.
Contributing to the lack of safety is the attitude displayed by owners, drivers, conductors and passengers alike. A whole new culture has developed with these buses. There are some young girls, for example, who only travel with select buses where the music is loud and at times lewd.
Then there are some passengers who insist that they are not traveling in buses unless there is music and unless the music is played at certain decibels.
If you have had the misfortune of sitting in one of these buses you will know how difficult it is to protest. Try protesting in a busload of young people who want the music played at a high volume and want the conductor to match the speed with which the bus goes with the volume control. The louder the volume, the faster the bus goes.
Try protesting at this speed and be prepared for a round of abuse. You are asked why it is you joined the bus in the first place if you did not want the music loud. You are told in no uncertain manner that there are other persons in the bus and their preference is for loud music.
When you caution the driver about the speed at which he is traveling, you are asked whether you think the bus is a “cork ball.” You are told that there are others who want to get home quickly, who are late for an appointment. It is even suggested to you that the speeding bus is “not going too fast.”
It is therefore no wonder that many passengers are afraid to speak out because to do so attracts abuse from their fellow passengers. So passengers prefer to risk their lives than to ask the drivers to slow down.
Another attraction is the way the bus looks. There are some girls who only travel in “shine bus”. This means that the bus must be aged and must be in impeccable condition, including having mag rims
The bus owners themselves have gone to great ends to ensure that certain things are in place. Sometimes they spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on mag rims to make their buses look appealing but still place used and worn tires on these rims. It is a double standard.
On the one hand they wish their buses to look good so as to catch the eye of the customer. On the other hand, they play with the lives of their passengers when some owners concentrate more on the mag rims than on the tires.
In many cases the wheels of buses are changed simply for the sake of fashion. Smaller rims are often used. Some bus owners like to use wide tires. These substitutes present a danger for the passengers because the buses were not constructed for these.
But try urging the bus owners to revert back to their original rim size. You will be given all manner of excuses as to why this cannot be done.
People have to speak out about these things because they are costing the nation lives.
Speaking out will attract abuse but all it takes for a few road deaths in Guyana is for good men and women to sit silently while a speeding minibus races towards its next accident.

Latest News

RACING TO THE NEXT ACCIDENT

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | November, 18th, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Dolphin Secondary, East Ruimveldt seal Round-5 victories in Republic...

Golden Jaguars to host Barbados tonight in...

Members show confidence as they re-elect Ninvalle...

Badminton Team enjoy decent success in Suriname

Successful 8th Charity Event hosted by Inniss...

Nine years old is latest recipient of gear from...

Features/Columnists

A shameful abdication of leadership

Rising Gun Crimes in the Caribbean: Urgent Action required by all

Guyanese are so lucky: bad cop, bad cop

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

RACING TO THE NEXT ACCIDENT

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | November, 18th, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]