Dear Editor,
The members of some minibus associations are calling for a 20 percent increase in fares or they will engage in protest action mainly in the form of a strike. This general attitude by the minibus operatives is a malicious assault on the travelling public.
For the past three years, minibus operators were generally fleecing commuters by charging them extra money on fares. For instance, the Consumer Division of the Ministry of Commerce stated clearly that minibus fares on the Kitty-Campbellville (40 Route) and the Lamaha-Hospital (45 Route) will be $50. However, the minibus operators demand $60 and give excuses that they do not have change whenever commuters ask for their $10 change. It must be noted that the minibus operators are aware that the correct fare is $50 because whenever two passengers travel together and a $100 bill is tendered, the conductors do not demand $20.
In addition, the travelling conditions in those minibuses are unbearable, with conductors packing the minibuses four and five persons in a seat and thus endangering the lives of passengers and breaching their licence and insurance. The situation is further compounded by the loud and vulgar music and the showing of alarming pornographic music videos.
Minibuses are responsible for most accidents caused by dangerous driving and some drivers do not have any regard for life.
They are generally road bullies, breaking all the rules by jumping major roads and expressing forms of aggression to other road users when they express objection. These traffic-menaces and social-nuisances create a culture in which they encourage young school children, mainly girls, to ride the minibuses and introduce them to all forms of ungodly acts.
Today, they have the audacity to demand an increase in fares to finance the perpetuation of their social deformities!
Minibus operators should not receive a single cent increase in fare especially for the 40, 45 and 41 (Lodge) routes especially since they began illegally collecting their 20 percent increase from passengers two years ago. If the argument holds that they must get the fare increase because of an increase in the price of spare parts, then all minibus drivers and conductors must submit their income tax returns showing that they pay taxes.
It is suspected that most minibus operators are major tax dodgers and do not pay income tax on their daily earnings and, instead, always want to fleece the ordinary passengers, most of whom are public servants who pay their taxes whether they like it or not.
Until and unless the minibus associations can prove that their members are making a fair contribution to the development of Guyana and they eliminate their contribution to societal decadence, no fare increase should be granted to them.
Yours faithfully,
Lloyd A. King
