Taking back control…More passengers reporting lawless minibus drivers

Jan 13, 2020 News

By Shikema Dey

The route 42 minibus

In 2019, a flurry of headlines circulated, outlining the reckless behaviour of minibus drivers with a blatant disregard for human lives. A number of stories surfaced, telling tales of bus drivers who when asked to consider the safety of others, replied with explicit language, ignored appeals, or ordered passengers out of their vehicles.
Previously, it was said that many passengers chose death over speaking out against irresponsible drivers.
But it appears that no longer are citizens staying silent.
One complainant, Orette Cutting, relayed a story of one driver’s response to a simple request: turn down the loud music.
Cutting stated that on Saturday at around 9am, he boarded a route 42 minibus registration number BRR 8747 at Grove, East Bank Demerara. While in the vicinity of Herstelling, he asked the driver to lower his music so that he could answer his phone.
He stated that due to the lack of transportation available at the time, he made a choice to bear with the loud music being blasted through the speakers.
“I took the call with a client and even though I asked him to turn down the music, the caller could have barely heard me but nevertheless I got through it and the driver turned the music up again but this time, it was louder than before.”
Cutting stated that he told the driver “why you so disrespectful, I just come off the call and you turn up the music higher, and I notice you only lowering it when we passing police so that means you have no respect for anybody.”
The driver immediately began arguing with him demanding to know why he boarded the bus and continued to insult Cutting.
When the bus reached next to the stadium, he stated, the driver announced that he was not operating anymore and asked the passengers to ‘get out of his bus’.
“He pull in the corner and said he ain’t working no more, the bus has to go the mechanic shop so everybody must get out of the bus and there were people in there who needed to get to work and a woman with a young baby. We were all ‘thrown out’ of the bus and left to stand in the rain all because I asked him to turn down his music.”
Immediately after the incident, Cutting reported the matter at the Providence Police Station with hopes that they will act swiftly and reprimand the driver.
Another citizen, Tishana Peters relayed her experience, allegedly with the same minibus operators.
This time, Peters claimed that the driver was smoking what appeared to be an illicit substance, while blasting his music.
The woman stated that after she complained about the smoke and loud music, the driver told her that she needed to “buy her own bus because passengers are not allowed to complain about what he does in his bus.”
According to Peters, other passengers began complaining and the driver did nothing but argue. She quickly exited the bus at the next stop because she was travelling with her daughter at the time.
Peters did not make a report, however but was thankful that she left the bus before something worse had occurred.
Meanwhile, the Traffic Chief Linden Isles had thrown his support behind persons who wish to make complaints against these very drivers.
“Regardless of who owns or who drives the bus, action will be taken.”
Isles stated that he himself is willing to take such reports and continues to encourage persons to speak out and report such matters.

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