Adjustments have been made to the route 41 and 46 minibus park in the Stabroek Market bazaar following a one-day strike on Wednesday by the bus operators over parking space.
President of the United Minibus Union Eon Andrews told Stabroek News yesterday that the area within the bazaar where the minibuses had been loading and off-loading passengers has been “demarcated” while the police mobile booth has been shifted towards the southern end of the parking area.
He said the minibuses now have more than one exit and there appears to be “more order in the area”.
Andrews contended that the “big-bus” service which the government rolled out on Wednesday night to cushion the effects of the striking minibus operators did not have much of an impact on normal operations, adding that by that time operations had returned to normal.
Andrews said the union is working to have all minibuses operate “a turn system” since that has proven to be effective in minibus parks. He said the route 45 minibuses have such a system in place and passengers who travel with the route 41 minibuses told this newspaper yesterday that such a measure would ensure that the minibuses operate in an orderly manner.
Hundreds of stranded commuters were on Wednesday evening taken to their destinations free of cost by the Ministry of Transport and Hydraulics after over a dozen 30-seater buses attached to the ministry and from the Knight Riders bus service plied the ‘South’—41 and 46—routes as night stepped in.
The Route 41 and 46 minibus operators ceased operations citing the displacement of their parking area from the Stabroek Market bazaar as “unreasonable”.
The minibus operators said that on Saturday, officials from the Public Works Ministry barricaded a section of the area, blocking off access to the area where the minibuses exited the park.
However, Minister of Transport and Hydraulics Robeson Benn told Stabroek News on Wednesday night that it was temporary and necessary as the authorities moved to clean up the area. He pointed out that the area was being asphalted and parking lines were being painted. He said he had met with the operators.
Meantime, bus drivers yesterday said the increased price of gasoline, which stands at approximately $1,000 per gallon, has had an impact on their operations and they will soon be making representations to their representatives to have the issue addressed.
Checks with several gas stations in the city revealed that there were increases in the price for petrol which became effective about two weeks ago. At the pumps at GuyOil service stations in and on the outskirts of the city, gas was being retailed at $902.84 per gallon an increase of approximately $60.
At the SOL service stations gas was being retailed at approximately $931 per gallon which represented an increase of about $80.Diesel was being retailed at approximately $900 per gallon at most of the service stations yesterday.
