Communities in Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo will now benefit from a timely initiative of the Lethem Mayor and Town Council to provide transportation services to hundreds of students there.
The council purchased a 32-seater bus at the cost of $9M after recognizing the plight of families within the communities.
The newly commissioned 32-seater bus
The 32-seater bus began its inaugural route on Thursday and transported the students to school free of cost on Thursday and Friday. The payment system took effect as of Monday, March 27, 2017.
The bus will provide service to six schools within the municipality including the St Ignatius Secondary School, two primary schools and three nursery schools.
Each child will be required to pay $1,000 per week (200 per day) and teachers will also benefit from the transportation service as well.
Lethem Mayor, Carlton Beckles said that a second bus will also be purchased in the coming months to address the many concerns as it relates to transportation.
Beckles disclosed that council has a responsibility to parents to ensure that children have the necessary transportation service to attend school.
He noted that although many hinterland communities across the country benefited from President David Granger school-bus initiative, Lethem has so far not been a recipient.
“So from the municipality we have purchased this bus to get the children to school at an extremely reduced fare,” Beckles remarked.
In addition to providing much-needed financial relief to the parents in the communities, the bus service is intended to be of economic benefit to the municipality.
