Daylight robbery

Dec 28, 2025 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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(Kaieteur News) – Every time minibus operators or speedboat operators try to raise fares, the government reacts swiftly. There are warnings. There are threats. There is talk of arrests and court action. We saw this clearly in October this year. After a strike by Georgetown–Timehri minibus operators demanding a fare increase, the government warned that any driver charging “arbitrary and unlawful” fares would be arrested and prosecuted.

Earlier this year, in April, the same approach was taken with speedboat operators. Those serving Vreed-en-Hoop, Parika, Bartica and Supenaam were warned that unauthorized fare increases would not be tolerated.

Yet one basic question remains unanswered. Under what law does the government claim the power to authorize or prohibit fares for minibuses and speedboats? As far as the public knows, the transport sector is not regulated. If there is no clear fare regulation system, then on what legal basis are threats being made?

This confusion creates a deeper problem. While minibuses and speedboats are publicly scolded and restrained, hire car operators enjoy near-total freedom. There are no stern warnings. There are no threats of arrest. There are no public declarations that fares must come down.

This double standard hurts commuters.

Take the case of the Berbice River Bridge. Last August, the government removed the tolls. Many commuters reasonably expected hire car fares to fall, especially those paying by the seat. After all, operators were no longer paying bridge tolls. Even the government hinted that fares should decline.

Instead, fares increased.

Passengers are now paying more, not less. The benefit of toll removal went entirely to operators. Commuters gained nothing.

The same injustice appears in “short-drop” fares. These fares have exploded. A short trip that once cost $400 now costs $800. In some cases, drivers demand $1,000 to drive a few corners. This is happening even though fuel prices have fallen sharply. Petrol taxes have been removed. Gasoline at the pump is cheaper.

None of these savings are reaching commuters.

People are shocked when they hear the price. Some are angry. Some are helpless. Many now feel forced to ask the fare before entering a hire car, especially near hospitals and shopping malls. The joke is no longer funny. People say you might need medical attention when you hear the fare after reaching your destination.

Travel to the airport has also doubled in cost. For workers. For students. For families. For visitors. There is no justification for this.

The government is losing billions of dollars by zero-rating fuel. This sacrifice is meant to help the public. It is meant to lower the cost of living. But without regulation, the benefit is being captured by a small group of operators. Ordinary citizens pay the price.

This situation cannot continue.

Transportation is not a luxury. It is a necessity. People need transport to get to work. To school. To hospitals. To markets. When fares rise without control, the poorest suffer most. Low-income workers. Pensioners. Students. Single parents. They have no bargaining power. They have no alternatives.

If the government believes it has the authority to warn minibuses and speedboats, then it must apply the same principle across the entire sector. Fairness demands it. Logic demands it. Justice demands it.

The solution is clear. All public transportation fares must be regulated. Minibuses. Speedboats. Hire cars. Every category. Clear rules must be established. Transparent fare schedules must be published. Operators must know what is allowed. Commuters must know what to expect.

Regulation does not mean punishment. It means balance. It means protecting both operators and passengers. Operators deserve fair returns. But commuters deserve fairness too. They should not be ambushed by outrageous charges. They should not be exploited because they are desperate to get home.

Other countries do this. It is not radical. It is not anti-business. It is responsible governance.

Without regulation, warnings become hollow. Threats become selective. And public confidence erodes.

The government cannot continue to police one part of the transport sector while ignoring another. That approach breeds resentment. It also encourages abuse.

If fuel is tax-free, commuters should benefit. If tolls are removed, fares should reflect it. If the state intervenes, it must intervene fairly and lawfully.

It is time for a comprehensive transport fare policy. One system. One standard. One rulebook. One Guyana!

The aim must be simple. Protect commuters. Stop exploitation. Restore fairness on our roads and waterways.

Let us hear about regulating transport fares in the Budget.

The cost of living is already high. Getting from one place to another should not feel like daylight robbery.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

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• Daylight robbery, fare increase, Peeping Tom, Timehri minibus operators, transport sector

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