Dear Editor,
Often the minibus drivers and conductors are blamed for their irresponsible behaviour on our roadways and for their blatant disrespect for the laws of Guyana and lack of care for the lives that are temporarily placed in their care. But we are the ones travelling in minibuses on a regular basis.
On Saturday evening (November 12), I travelled in a route 48 minibus (licence plate number supplied) and despite the comfortable interior, the commute was quite uncomfortable. It has left me scared and unwilling to travel with public transportation. The conductor, after failing to seat a passenger next to another upon the latter’s firm refusal to share his seat, gave his place to the former. A few minutes later, ironically at the traffic light situated at the Parliament Building short distance from the Brickdam Police Station, the conductor decided to join the bus and sat in the front seat between a female passenger and the minibus driver. The only problem was that except for a sizeable hump, there was no seat, and the conductor was obviously uncomfortable. I spoke out against what I was seeing, urging the driver to say or do something, as not only he and his conductor were breaking the traffic laws of Guyana, but they were endangering the life of the conductor (who said it was his life and he did not care) and my life, as he was seated awkwardly, directly in front of me, in addition to the lives of other road users. To my great surprise, the conductor proceeded to verbally abuse me, threatening my safety and calling me names because he was angry at my decision to report the matter and because I took a photograph as evidence of the lawlessness. “Police can’t touch me,” he said. Even more to my surprise, Editor, is the fact that two male passengers joined the conductor in his abuse, and I was eventually put out of the bus. This did not cause me much distress as I then realised that both the conductor and the driver were drinking Banks beers.
I blame myself for the outcome of that evening as I now realise that I should have exited the vehicle at the Brickdam Police Station and reported the matter then. But what was my evidence? Calls to Traffic Headquarters Eve Leary, Georgetown, went unanswered. There is more that I could have done, but I have not written this to reminisce on my could haves and should haves.
We the public need to be outspoken when we travel in public transportation and the drivers and/or conductors break the traffic laws, such as overloading the bus with more passengers than they are lawfully allowed to transport; speeding; ‘jumping’ traffic lights; playing loud music; putting passengers out; drinking and/or smoking and abusing passengers. It is simply not enough to be seated in public transportation and say to oneself, ‘It isn’t my problem’! Speak up for your rights and defend others when they do. Mark the vehicles mentally and refuse to travel with them on other occasions. Let us send a strong message to these drivers and/or their conductors that we the people will not tolerate unlawfulness, for if we continue to sit quietly, we are not only supporting and condoning the unlawfulness, but we will by our silence, contribute to the endangerment of the lives of the occupants of the vehicle we are in, and also other innocent road users. It is not enough to say the police officers should be on the roadways more frequently to catch them in the act. Yes, they have a job to do and must fulfil their mandate, but we too as a people share a responsibility to speak up for our rights.
I pledge to do better and speak up against lawlessness.
Yours faithfully,
Cynthia Rutherford
