Photos and interviews by Shabna Ullah
Music has been banned from public transportation by a law recently passed in Parliament. Do you agree? What will you do on long trips?
Mark Douglas, taxi driver
`I agree with the ban because some drivers overdo it. There may be old and young passengers in the vehicles and they have to please everyone. But when some passengers tell them to lower the volume they do not want to do it. I know it would be boring to travel long distances without music but they can play it moderately. To me the six-inch speaker is ok. But some people have big boom-boom boxes. Another thing is that some of the minibus drivers are reckless; they mash rash brakes or they would overtake a vehicle suddenly and stop – just for a passenger. Some of the drivers do not care because they do not own the buses.’
Nizam Shairulla,
Security guard at Blairmont Estate
`I agree that the music has been banned from the buses because it was supposed to come a long time ago.
All along when the drivers were told not to play the music so loud they did not listen and it has become a nuisance. There is no music in the boats and neither the trains nor the big buses the government owned had music at that time. The drivers play the music too loud and if a vehicle blows behind them they cannot hear.
The music diverts the drivers’ attention and they can put people’s lives at risk. I see it as a recipe for disaster besides it is not beneficial to health. The noise can result in a hearing problem. The loud music can even bring about an argument between the drivers and the passengers because some would want it and some would not.’
Rafeeza Mohamed, student
`Banning of the loud music is the right thing to do and I agree with it. Some schoolchildren just travel with the bus because of the music and they end up going all over with the drivers and do all sorts of things.
Public transportation does not need music. On a long trip persons can chat with friends or even make new friends. Guyana is a free country and we need to be friendly. The music distracts drivers. In some cases if a driver wants to overtake and he blows the other driver cannot hear because the music is too loud.
Sometimes when you tell them to stop they cannot hear you. It is not fair because you pay your money and you have to walk back. Persons may have a hard day and want to travel in comfort but some drivers are not considerate at all.’
Karran P. Deokarran, Vice Chairman, Region Five
`I agree with the banning of loud music in public transportation but I support the use of radio – without boom boxes – as it helps to provide information. I think they should remove the music totally because some of them are so vulgar. The drivers also play the music too loud. Sometimes I sit in minibuses and I have to cover my ears. As a driver I know that loud music distracts your attention and it can contribute to accidents.’
Rhonda Robertson, housewife
“I do not think that they should ban the music but the drivers should not play it so loud; it should be moderate. When you travel long distances the music keeps you lively. I think that the music should continue but they should take out the boom boxes.
Randolph Semple, Rosignol to Georgetown minibus driver
`To me they should not stop the music but they should get something to test the music to ensure that it does not play above a certain level [volume]. They should take out the power amps and so but we have to get the music; we have to get something. You find that when you go on airport trips and the bus does not have music all the passengers would sleep. Even the driver can sleep away so the music is mainly to keep the driver up. If we don’t have music then what would happen? Everybody could be dead. I do not think it should be loud though; but they cannot stop it completely.’
Everton Williams, Rosignol to Georgetown minibus driver
`We need the music for this long distance. As soon as the passengers come in the bus and hear that you do not have music they go away. We do not need any big music and I would not agree with a boom box. To me an eight-inch speaker is good enough. I travelled two days without music because it had to be fixed and I felt bored. We have to please the passengers and when they tell us to turn it down we have to do so because they are giving us a dollar.’
Chaitram Basdeo, minibus owner (Crabwood Creed to
New Amsterdam)
`I am a driver of the Black Bush Polder area and right now I do not have music in my bus. I had two 12-inch speakers and the police made me remove it and I was never interested in putting it back. I agree that they should ban loud music. Some passengers, especially the schoolchildren would ask for the music. The ones who cannot afford the loud music in their buses would not get the work. During last year I was supposed to take children on a school tour to Georgetown. I left Black Bush and when I got to the New Amsterdam Stelling and the headmaster who was in another bus with loud music realize that my bus did not have music he cancelled my hire and made the children join another bus with music. He did not arrange music with me before hand. I left home at 2 am to make that trip and up to now he did not pay me.’
Indra Looknauth, minibus owner
`We do not want loud music; it must be soft. I do not agree that it should be banned completely because the drivers can fall asleep during long trips. If they do not have anyone to talk to then they can listen to the music. The passengers have a right to tell the drivers to turn down the volume. Some drivers play the music until it vibrates and they do not hear the passengers. I do not agree with the vulgar music that some buses play. I also feel they should stop the touts at the parks because they pull and tug at passengers too much and valuables can be lost in the process. Another thing is that they should not ban the cell phones while driving. They need to tell the drivers to slow down and be careful when talking on the phone. I need to get contact with my children when they are on the road in case of emergency.’
Godfrey Richmond, musician
`I feel that they should have done this a long time ago but I think the radio is fine. The drivers were warned not to play the music so loud but they did not listen. Guyana has gone lawless and the authorities have to use forceful measures. They also need to take a similar stance with a lot of other issues for instance cursing in public. Some drivers do not turn down the music when asked; they get annoyed.
As a commuter I know they only turn down when they see the police. The music is also very offensive and it should be removed completely. The private vehicles as well should not be allowed to have music. The loud music disturbs you even while in your home and the vehicles pass by; worse yet when they stop in front of your homes and open the doors and car trunks and allow it to blast. The vibration from the music also causes windows to break. Drivers have to learn to respect people’s rights to peacefulness.’
