After working a 12-hour shift, minibus operator Tekchine Surijpersaud said he took home $880 in earnings on Monday.
This, he said, is the reality of working during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has left many minibus operators facing hard times due to the impact on public transport, where restrictions have been placed on the amount of passengers that can be transported by operators.
Under initial measures instituted to curb transmission of COVID-19, public transportation operators were restricted to carrying 50% of their full capacity. That has since been revised to 75%.
Surijpersaud, who has been a bus driver for 37 years, told Stabroek News that he was forced to let go of his conductor after being unable to pay him.
He said operating during the pandemic has been difficult but he has a family to care for, bills to pay and a bus to maintain. Surijpersaud said if he is lucky, some days he gets a load to return to the park but ninety per cent of the time he and other operators are struggling.
He related that the money they are earning makes it difficult for them to meet their expenses, including gasoline, the price of which has increased from $130 per litre to $165.
The driver also noted that he is in need of tyres and further disclosed that tyre prices have also gone up. He said they cost $16,000 each.
Surijpersaud is also aware of the dangers still posed by COVID-19 but he is not fearful of contracting the virus as long as persons continue to take precautions and do what it required. “We cannot expose ourselves to a careless life, we must take things in hand, we have to, because in this crisis anything can happen at any time,” he said.
Currently he is operating on a smaller scale, carrying two passengers per seat, to ensure his safety and that of his passengers. “When I put off one, then I will pick up one, that is my procedure,” he explained.
Another driver, who gave his name as Robin, told this newspaper his bus business during the pandemic has been “death slow”.
The man, who has been a driver for some 25 years, said he is frustrated as he noted that it was difficult knowing that you have loans to pay and things to take care of while little money was coming in.
He also alluded to the increase in the price of tyres and the fluctuation of gasoline prices. Robin said things are “rough” for minibus drivers, particularly those who are the only breadwinners for their families. He said he sometimes has to pray that he picks up short drop passengers, although he noted that some passengers have not been paying their full fare although there has been no increase in fares.
While he noted that passengers ought to be responsible for the wearing of face masks and sanitising their hands, he said he is doing his best to stay safe.
A driver from the Plaisance bus park, who asked not to be named, said he is being affected in many ways, particularly with some passengers not paying the full fare.
Shawn Kitt, a Linden bus driver, said, when the COVID-19 outbreak here started he was skeptical about coming out to operate. However, as time went by and he began to feel more comfortable with the use of face masks and sanitisers, he decided to return to work.
Kitt said he follows the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Public Health to ensure the safety of everyone. Another Linden driver, who asked to remain anonymous, told this newspaper, “We have to try, we cannot give up”.
The driver, who has been driving for several years, said he is scared like anyone would be after coming into contact with many persons on a daily basis, but he was forced to take his chances as he has bills to pay.
As a result, he is practicing the necessary guidelines and is keen on the adherence to wearing face masks and the sanitising of his bus.
