A total of 210,650 commuters rely on privately operated minibuses, the backbone of the country’s public transport service, to meet their daily transportation needs, according to figures provided by the United Minibus Union (UMU) and seen by this newspaper.
The buses, numbered by route, traverse wide areas of coastal Guyana with the largest number of commuters travelling to and from communities on the East Coast of Demerara.
The UMU’s figures indicate that 450 of the overall fleet of 1,272 minibuses in service ply the number 44 route transporting just over 80,000 commuters daily from the various villages along the East Coast Demerara. This route, the UAM says, is serviced by 500 drivers and 475 conductors.
According to the UAM’s figures, the Georgetown to Parika (number 32) route is used by 36,000 commuters daily and serviced by 381 buses while the Stabroek/Kitty/Campbellville (number 40) route is serviced by 110 buses, the same number of drivers and transports 26,400 commuters daily.
Other heavily serviced routes include the Stabroek/South and North Ruimveldt/GUYHOC Park (number 41) route where 70 buses are operated by 70 drivers and transport 33,600 passengers daily and the Georgetown/Wales (number 31) service where 138 buses and the same number of drivers provide transportation for 14,400 commuters daily.
Overall, coastal minibuses number 1,272, provide employment for 1,332 drivers and 802 conductors. There are 595 minibus owners.
