Govt. declares public transport fare increases illegal

May 20, 2026 News

---

…warns operators against price gouging

(Kaieteur News) – The government of Guyana on Monday declared that no increases in fares have been approved for any mode of public transport, including minibuses, hire cars, speedboats, and airport taxis.

The administration’s definitive stance was delivered directly to public transport owners and operators during a public engagement led by Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, at the Stabroek Market Square. The meeting was organized in response to widespread reports of arbitrary fare increases by operators, which led to instances over the past weekend where passengers were left stranded at the Parika and Bartica stellings after refusing to pay unapproved rates.

Addressing the gathering, Edghill emphasized that the approved fare structures remain unchanged and legally binding for all commuters. The Minister stated that no fare increase has been approved by the government for speedboats, taxis, minibuses, or hire cars, and that no Guyanese citizen, tourist, child, or worker should be forced to pay increased rates. Furthermore, he clarified that no driver holds the authority to put a passenger out of their vehicle for refusing to pay unapproved fares, urging commuters to immediately report instances of harassment or price gouging to the regulators so that decisive action can be taken. To enforce compliance, Minister Edghill issued a final directive mandating that all public transportation operators must prominently display official, approved fare structures inside their vehicles or vessels.

Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Susan Rodrigues, who also sat on the panel, reminded commuters that public transportation is legally classified as a public utility, which protects passengers against arbitrary price shifts. She explained that carriage of passengers by motor vehicles falls under this regulatory framework, meaning citizens can lodge formal complaints with the Public Utilities Commission if they are charged above the approved rates. Minister Rodrigues noted that arbitrary price spikes during heavy traffic or peak periods like Christmas distort fair market conditions and remain completely unacceptable to the administration.

The government emphasized that its refusal to grant fare hikes is backed by massive, ongoing state interventions designed to lower overhead costs for transport providers and shield the domestic economy from global inflationary shocks. According to data released by the Department of Public Information, Senior Minister within the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, detailed that the complete removal of the excise tax on fuel has resulted in approximately $100B in annual savings for Guyanese consumers. At a micro level, this policy intervention translates to savings of about $500 per gallon of diesel or gasoline purchased at local petrol stations.

Singh explained that despite Guyana’s status as a crude oil producer, the country remains tied to international market fluctuations because it still imports refined fuel products from the global market. He stated that the government has also absorbed higher fuel costs incurred by the Guyana Power and Light Incorporated and the Guyana Water Incorporated to ensure that electricity and water tariffs remain unchanged despite higher operational costs. The Finance  Minister noted that price increases at local fuel pumps have been kept significantly lower than the actual rise in global crude oil prices because of these deliberate policy decisions to cushion citizens from global economic shocks.

The state has warned that non-compliance with the established fare structures will carry swift and severe operational consequences for transport providers. Captain Stephen Thomas, Director General of the Maritime Administration Department, confirmed that authorities have already recorded the identities of operators who left passengers stranded over the weekend and intend to suspend their licenses. Captain Thomas warned that operating licenses are a privilege tied directly to regulatory compliance, noting that a long waiting list of applicants eager to operate on those routes means non-compliant operators will simply be replacing themselves.

While maintaining a strict regulatory stance against unauthorized hikes, the government panel acknowledged the economic complaints raised by transportation providers during the open forum, specifically regarding the rising and unregulated costs of vehicular spare parts. To address these operational bottlenecks without impacting passenger pricing, the government pledged to engage major domestic importers and distributors of automotive parts to explore interventions that can lower overhead costs for operators. The panel managing the public engagement also included Traffic Chief and Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mahendra Singh, alongside representatives from the Public Utilities Commission.

---

• fare, hire cars, minibuses, price gouging, public transport

---