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Minibus operators were overcharging long before this present fuel shortage
Dear Editor,
It is not my style but I would like to commend the Ministry of Tourism for their bold stance against the unreasonable raise of fares that have been perpetrated by the public transportation system throughout Guyana especially the route 32 mini buses against commuters. I have written numerous letters about these illegal raise in fares that commuters have to pay in order for them to reach their destination but with their latest cry I would like to raise a few concerns I have witness personally especially at the Vreed-en-Hoop stelling.
Mr. Editor, based on the article in KN Aug.16. “Minibus operators threatened to cease operations”, the operators explained that the raise of fuel (due to the fuel shortage) has prompted them to increase the fares but they didn’t say if they will drop back the fare when the fuel price reduces.
It is no surprise that they are using the fuel shortage incident to cry for an increase, especially when they were over charging people long before this present fuel shortage. They didn’t tell the reporter that before a commuter enters their bus; you have to agree to pay forty dollars more on the regular fare.
I witnessed the woman in short pants in the picture stand by her minibus door and demand that you have to pay the increase, and when someone voice their disapproval, they are being are faced with lots of degrading remarks from her. Some of them would lock their doors and when the crowd builds up, then they would demand a high fare i.e., two hundred dollars to Tuschen when the fare is one hundred and twenty dollars and increase of eighty dollars!
This government’s failure in creating jobs for us forced lots of them into investing into minibus or going and work someone’s minibus and it not secret that the amount of minibuses that park at the Vreed-en-Hoop is extremely high and there’s not enough commuters travelling for them to get their six thousand dollars for driver, four thousand dollars for conductor and five thousand dollars for the minibus (some cases is more), so they choose to pressure the commuters to make them get their target in only two or three trips. Added to that, the condition of some minibuses is unimaginable and that causes some commuters clothes to get damaged and they don’t even offer an apology.
To this day, I cannot understand why they don’t tell you about the increase when you travelling in the morning going to work and only when you finished working and going home. Also, there are a lot of minibuses operators who work for the normal fares and are being verbally abused by those who are demanding the increase.
Most of them still force you to sit four in a bar (seat) along with the increase and if you refuse they put you out of the bus or say they not working anymore until you exit the bus. Complains to the police fall on deaf ears too, but commuters still have to travel! It’s not the commuters’ fault that there is so many minibuses out there that make them wait eight hours for a load!
Sahadeo Bates
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