Private cars in Bartica taking over hire-car work

Dear Editor,

I am a television host on the live call-in programme on TTS Ch5 in Bartica. Most complaints come from owners of hire cars who complain about private hire cars dominating the hire-car park.

Hire cars are hardly getting any work; they charge $400 for a short drop one way, and if they have to wait a little and return, then it is $1,000 up.

Lots of strange cars and drivers are now in Bartica. If a passenger tells them drop me at X place, they tell the passenger, you direct me. These new ‘drivers’ could be anyone just checking out Bartica. The hire car association says they have made several complaints to the higher authorities, but so far nothing is happening.

Secondly, in First and Second Avenues parking space is hard to get if you have to stop at a business place to shop; it’s better walking. Roadside stalls have taken over the reserve parapets.
The IMC has sent notices to all roadside vendors, but so far they have disregarded these notices and even more are coming and building stalls.

They claim they have families to feed and they owe the bank. And this is Guyana and they are Guyanese. ‘Whe alyu wan we go?’

They were given a new location at Mongrippa Arcade, but still remain at First and Second Avenues.

So IMC-NDC and local government, what next?

Yours faithfully,
Winston B Miller Sr