The government and the Berbice Bridge Company Inc (BBCI) are yet to finalise any agreement that will lead to the reduction in tolls nearly one month after lower rates were promised.
As the two sides continue to negotiate, there has been an overwhelming response to government subsidised water taxis but some Berbice minibus operators say they are being left without work.
Berbice River Bridge Minibus Association President Dennis Chesney is frustrated at the lack of progress between the government and the bridge company and his group is calling to be included in the discussions.
Chesney told Stabroek News that “everybody can get to make a dollar” but noted that the current situation has just resulted in the reduction of the fleet of active buses from 49 to 35. He said the association rotates the parking of 14 buses because commuters elect to use the free water taxis.
He noted too that some commuters did not want to continue paying their bus fares as they say the toll reduction was supposed to be in place since Septem-ber 1.
According to Chesney, there has been no response from either the BBCI or the government and minibus operators feel let down. He said he and the other operators also have families to feed and they are the ones that are struggling while the current impasse continues.
Meanwhile, during a press briefing at Freedom House yesterday the PPP’s General Secretary Clement Rohee blasted the government for neglecting the minibus operators. Rohee said the government in its election campaign pro-mised a good life for all, which should include the dozens of minibus operators and their families.
Rohee said the party supports the minibus operators and their request for inclusion in the discussions.
Minister of Public Infra-structure, David Patterson told Stabroek News that up until last week both the government and the bridge company were still talking.
The BBCI had written its preferential shareholder, the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), on Septem-ber 14 and requested its views on whether to accept the recent government’s proposed subsidy to reduce the bridge tolls.
The BBCI had given the NIS until September 22 to respond but it is unclear if it received a response. NIS holds $950 million in preferential shares and an additional $80 million in regular shares in the bridge company.
The letter, seen by Stabroek News, requests that NIS indicate whether the BBCI should go ahead and accept the government’s proposal in the absence of a position on the Toll Formula and/or Concession Period, or whether the BBCI should refuse and continue with negotiations. The letter also requested that the NIS signal whether there should be a general meeting of shareholders and financiers to determine a collective positon or if the BBCI directors should make this decision as the NIS’ appointed representatives on the board.
BBCI has said that given the current structure of the Toll Formula, without much needed toll increases the cash shortfall this year is estimated at $600 million. The 2015 budget allocated $36 million for a bridge subsidy from September to the end of the year. The government had stated that it would provide a subsidy to lower the $2,200 toll for buses and cars to $1,900, while other vehicle types would have reductions of 10%.
