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CURBING MINIBUS MALPRACTICES
CONSUMER CONCERNS
PAT DIAL
There was a recent media report that commuters who had traveled by minibus to attend the recent Mashramani celebrations were overcharged for their homeward journey.
The steepest overcharge was levied on those who lived outside of Georgetown in places such as West Coast and West Bank Demerara. It was easier to exploit these commuters since it was at night and they feared they could be marooned in the City.
The same pattern of commuter exploitation occurs at other holidays such as Christmas and Easter.
The minibus fares were arrived at after discussions between the Minibus Association and the Ministry of Business. These discussions take into account such factors as the cost of gasolene and spare parts and other rising costs.
Fares are reviewed every few years at the call of the Minibus Association or even by groups of minibus owners. These fares are displayed in the minibuses and overcharges occur when these fares are whimsically increased.
Minibuses, as compared with buses run by large bus companies, offer two great advantages – they pick up and off load passengers anywhere along their route and this saves passengers walking some distances as would happen when passengers embark or disembark at bus stops.
Passengers also save time since minibuses do not have schedules so there is no waiting time.
Putting aside these advantages, they have many disadvantages and abuses which make traveling with them uncomfortable and even dangerous and it is these which have to be addressed and changed.
One of the major complaints of the commuters is the loud and raucous music the minibuses play continuously.
Every minibus is equipped with players and the music they play is often extremely loud and could impair one’s hearing since it is far above 80 decibels.
They may sometimes go beyond 120 decibels. Not only are the commuters inconvenienced but also the conductors and drivers.
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