Dear Editor,
It is with great apprehension that I write about the exploitation faced by commuters when using the public transportation for the East Coast Demerara route after coming off work at 16:15hrs on a daily basis.
I am an employee who awaits transportation in front of the Hand in Hand Group of Companies, North Road, along with my colleagues and fellow members of the travelling public, past which the Nos 44, 50 and 63 buses traverse, and both minibus drivers and conductors indicate to passengers before entering their bus that they have to pay a fare of $200 or more to travel along the East Coast Demerara route. The regular fare, as we all know it, is $100 from Georgetown to Annandale /Strathspey, and an additional $20 as the journey continues. Myself and fellow commuters are subjected to paying the outrageous sum of double or more of the normal fare to get to our destination daily.
Passengers refusing to comply with these demands are verbally and physically assaulted when they exit the minibuses. There have been instances where minibus conductors took away the handbags of female passengers and without consent, took out money from their purses and then they drove away.
In order to get home early, one has no alternative but to give in and put up with this ridiculous behavior, or remain stranded at the bus park. This already puts a strain on commuters’ pockets since it seems that if you do not have $200 in your possession, you are not going home. This practice is illegal and passengers feel that they can do nothing about it and have to endure this unscrupulous behaviour daily. It is very nerve-wracking after a hard day’s work to watch this go on and nothing is being done by the relevant authorities. There have been several occasions on which the Minibus Association, Consumers’ Association and the Minister of Transport had promised to conduct investigations into the unregulated hikes in minibus fares across various routes starting from 16:00 hrs in the afternoon, when commuters are asked to pay double or even triple the normal fare when the police are conducting roadblocks.
I appeal to the relevant authorities to enforce the correct fare structure for the East Coast Demerara route minibuses.
Yours faithfully,
Chitramanie Rupnarain
