Dear Editor,
The government’s idea of bringing back the big buses to provide public transportation is a good one. This becomes inevitable because of the attitude, behaviour and the operation of private minibuses.
Minibus owners have a monopoly on public transportation in Guyana. This has given them the opportunity to speak as they please, charge the fares they want, overload their buses, play loud music and treat commuters in any manner.
Minibuses operators do not cater fully for senior citizens and school children. They care not for people’s lives, travelling at fast rate so as to collect passengers which results in many accidents.
Bringing back the big buses will be a big challenge for the government. It will need proper management, first-class drivers, proper maintenance of the buses, an adequate number of buses and a high standard of service such as being on schedule and not overloading.
The management of the buses if it becomes a reality must not be in the hands of the government, but rather of a board made up of representatives of the government, the Consumers Association, the people and other groups. There must be an oversight committee monitoring the performance of the drivers. Problems must be tackled as soon as they are recognized and not left unattended to become bigger. Fares must be appropriate to meet the pockets of the poor people, pensioners and school children. They should rival the minibuses.
Yours faithfully,
Baldeo Persaud
