Dear Editor,
This letter is to inform the relevant authorities (Traffic Chief- Guyana Police Force, Ministry of Public Works, Consumer Affairs Bureau, and any other) of the unauthorized but widespread increase in fares of the #44 minibuses working the Georgetown- Annandale/Strathspey route. As a regular passenger on this route, I have recently noted multiple drivers charging passengers an extra $60 a drop, raising the cost of the ride to/from Georgetown to $200 (up from $140).
While this may not seem like a large increase to some, and while others may want to cite the increased cost of living, it is important to note that many Guyanese continue to struggle to make ends meet, and have not seen any significant raise in their earnings. As such, any cost increase of a necessary item such as transportation means those persons reducing or going without in some other area.
Secondly and perhaps more importantly- it is the principle of the matter that irks me more; the fact that these bus drivers have just decided, among themselves, to ignore the rule of law and impose their own will on a hapless public. We minibus passengers are already at the mercy of these unsavory characters who drive recklessly, blast lewd music, and overcrowd their buses daily, with few to no sanctions. The fact that they can just declare “$200 is it now,” and get away with this breach of the rule of law is a sad indictment of the state of affairs in Guyana today. (I’m leaving out for now the fact that these drivers regularly increase their fares for rush/evening and weekend hours and bully/curse/threaten/evict passengers like myself who dare to speak up and challenge their arrogance. I will also leave out the fact that many times I have witnessed police in uniform riding in these buses while numerous traffic codes are violated and remaining silent.)
It’s already clear that there is no ‘One Guyana’; instead there are multiple realities for different people, depending on social and economic status, and friends and family connections. I challenge all those who claim otherwise to get out of their big fancy personal vehicles and try getting a minibus in Georgetown at rush hour or in the evening. Failing that, I call on them to at least attempt, even if it’s sporadically, to maintain some level of adherence to law and order in this nation, starting with just one bus route at a time. Or do we have to wait for the new 12 story Police Station to get built?
