President Bharrat Jagdeo said the parapet built at the “road front” at Tuschen is exclusively for vendors but government is “willing to explore options” for taxis, after the two groups had been disagreeing over use of the area.
A Government Information Agency (GINA) press release said the president intervened in the conflict during a visit to the West Coast Demerara community on Sunday. “The issue was brought to the fore after some taxi drivers enquired about the congestion on the parapet and it was discovered that taxis are occupying part of the area,” the release said. Jagdeo also told the group that government intends to build market tarmacs and that “There are several tarmacs at Parika, Mon Repos, Lusignan, Diamond, West Coast Berbice, all of which were built for markets, not for car parks.”
Tuschen residents also voiced concerns about the fares for “short drops” in the housing scheme, accusing taxi operators of being unreasonable. Residents complained that the usual $60 charged for a short-drop has escalated to $100 and that operators are not being lenient even with children. In response, Jagdeo proposed a $40 tax on taxis using the parapet and while many residents agreed with this option, taxi operators said they were already challenged by the cost of fuel and the corresponding hike in commodity prices.
The president then proposed that a timetable be drafted for minibus operators to ply the same route but at a reduced fare so that residents can choose which service they can afford. The taxi operators again disagreed with this option, reiterating that they had increased fares to correspond with the hike in fuel prices. However, Jagdeo reminded them of their recent agreement to discuss fare increases if the price of gasoline exceeds $1,000 at the Guyoil gas stations.
