—not clear if everyone will comply
Commerce Minister Manniram Prashad announced yesterday that all minibus fares would be reduced immediately but there remains uncertainty over whether all operators will fully comply.
At a press conference held in the boardroom of the Ministry of Tourism, Trade and Commerce, Prashad announced that this decision had been made following a meeting yesterday with representatives from various minibus associations. These representatives were present at the press conference, and came from the General Mini Bus Association (GMBA) and the Guyana Public Transportation Association (GPTA), as well as from the Numbers 32 and 44 bus routes.
The Minister said that most fares would return to what they had been prior to the last increase in July. He explained that there were a few routes where prices would not revert to what they had been previously, but nevertheless there would be a reduction. He said these included areas such Guyhoc, Mahaica and Parika, and the fares for these routes would be announced shortly.
According to the Minister, his ministry would be further negotiating with the minibus associations to address some of their concerns, including the coast of spare parts locally.
Philbert Archer, the Advisor to the President of the GMBA, said that the decrease in fares was the fulfilment of a promise to reduce bus fares if the price of fuel dropped to below $1000 per gallon. At most service stations locally, gasoline is now being sold at less than $800 per gallon. However, Archer said that under this new agreement if gas prices increased to $850, then bus fares would automatically rise again. At this point, Minister Prashad interjected saying that the ministry was still in deliberations about this.
President of GMBA, Lylon Weithers urged that all minibus drivers comply with the new fare structure.
Representing the GPTA was its Public Relations Officer Compton Giddings and two of its members, Albert and Alexander Bell. And they all endorsed the decrease in fares. Giddings, in particular, called on all operators to adhere to the new prices which he said had been published in Friday’s edition of this newspaper. He said some adjustments might be required which would be made public shortly.
However, some members of the GPTA are saying that Giddings is not in a position to represent the association since he is on extended leave.
According to Hiram Grant PRO (ag), Giddings had relinquished his responsibilities and he (Grant) was the only person who could represent the association in such matters. He added that the members had received very late notice of the meeting and had not attended. Consequently, he said, they would not be adhering to the new fares.
Giddings nevertheless insisted that he was still a bona fide executive member of the GPTA and the internal matter that had arisen recently within the organization had been resolved. He said that this was the new fare structure with a few changes.
Meanwhile, Eon Andrews, the Chairman of the United Minibus Union – Route 45, said that he had been aware of the meeting but had not attended because he had not been given a formal invitation. He said that he incidentally happened to meet with Philbert Archer on Friday night. He said that his union would be willing to comply with the new structures once an official order had been issued carrying the signature of the Minister of Commerce.
Two Wednesdays’ ago, the Minister had made a similar announcement saying that bus fares were to be reduced the following Friday. However several minibus operators failed to implement the new fare structure, and continued to charge their old prices saying that certain conditions had to be met before there would be a decrease. These included a reduction in utility charges.
Simply those that fail to comply, would have to pay the consequences,fines etc,
with a consumer hot line the defaulters would soon be known!!
at this stage the minister can only recommend, this issue like the chicken saga has gone beyond the minister power.we will wait and see what happens
is not time to recommend….is time to act…..and do what ever it takes to enfore it…by take away road service licence ,,,etc,,,etc…
if they fail to drop thr fare take away there road service licence…. you as the minister set the rules they go by it ….or do what ever it takes to enforce it…..
This is some good news of the fare reduction, this would make the holiday a little stress free for travellers.
stabroek news why is it every time i write a comment it never publish and other people are allowed to
One way of reducing fares is to remove the touts and introduce a turn system. This would remove the touts costs. \i know that some parks has a turn system so what is preventing this to be set up at all parks…..
Raymond, this system is in place all over the Caribbean and Central America, and the people follow it. One solution is to build something like a loading terminal with loading docks for various destinations, similar to The Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago.
Now certainly a terminal cannot be created with loading docks for all destinations. I would say do not include the shorter destinations such as South, Kitty, Hospitals and so on. However, if we are to think ahead, a loading dock is certainly needed for people traveling from Georgetown to far off locations. Think about it, if a man wants to travel from Parika to Springlands with a big bag, he would have to drop off by the Stabroek Market, then drag his bag down the streets to the Berbice Park. In the coming years, Guyana would certainly see the need for a central point of loading and dropping off. Busses would be departing for destinations such as Lethem, Paramaribo, Boa Vista, Parika and so on; you just cannot have people standing all over the streets with bags and busses circling the blocks with touts and conductors running after people. A bus terminal can have phone boots, food courts, a few benches and so on…..of course a small fee that busses would be required to pay. There would be no touts as they would be locked out, and they have to find real jobs. Introduce bigger busses.
Red Lion
http://www.guyanabeer.com
The Authorities can say what they want, pass whatever law they please to pass, the bottom line is the Guyanese people and the mechanism to enforce the laws.
True Guyanese, if you think that your letter is worth publishing, you can email the Editor and send your mail as an attachment. I know how you feel, but my understanding is that they get a lot of mails. I did that once.
I say this with the proposed legislation to protect women in mind.
Red Lion
http://www.guyanabeer.com
This is very good news for travelers around the country
that used the minibus.
Christman is right around the corner Guyanese deserve a
drop in Value Added Tax (VAT), poor people need it, we were
told that vat is just a trial run, but it seems is if vat is in for marthon
Mr President.
Good move by the Minister, it is fair to the travelling public and vehicle owners too. I hope to see that the price of foodstuff and other commodities will come down too since the bus fare drop was because of the fuel price drop worldwide.
But what I can’t understand is why SN finds it necessary to state “not clear if everyone will comply”. This, to me, makes the Minister appear as a weak lawmaker and it’s ok to disrespect him. In the US (and I’m positive around the world) when a lawmaker passes a law it is meant to be carried out BY EVERYONE.
For those who doesn’t comply with the law, let the police take away their fitness licence and a hefty fine. These minibus drivers and owners have to realise that adhering to the new prices is helping the very people that keeps them in business, NOT THE GOVERNMENT.
If yuh don’t like it…park yuh bus.
I am happy to hear about this drop in bus fare, but please insist that it does take place, because many times the law is not reinforce .Can we also see a drop in food prices and the value added taxes. Public Servants in Guyana are paying the most taxes in the region33 and third plus 16 %. Remember the Minin Bus owners have to shop too.