City Hall finds temporary location for Route 42 minibuses
…drivers complain of criminal activities at new location
More than two weeks after displacing the Route 42 (Georgetown-Grove, East Bank Demerara) minibuses, the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) has taken a decision to temporarily relocate them on Bugle Street, Georgetown. The Route 42 bus park was cordoned off to allow the Stabroek Market Wharf vendors to ply their trade there following the collapse of their facility.
On Tuesday, Town Clerk Royston King told Guyana Times that he met with the drivers and they have agreed to the temporary location.
“We met with the bus drivers yesterday (Monday) and we had a discussion and they agreed that they will go to Bugle Street, on a temporary basis and they would operate … they agreed that they would operate from Bugle Street in a certain way, using a certain approach on a temporary basis … it is (located) south of the old
The temporary location where the minibuses are now operating
GNCB Bank,” King told this publication.
He said that there were a few objections in relation to the area, “but it is the responsibility of the Council to find solutions to some of these challenges and this is what we are doing”.
Some of the drivers are contending that Bugle Street is dangerous for passengers, especially at nights, owing to insufficient lighting and criminal activities.
In the past, the Route 42 drivers had complained about thieves in the park area.
United Minibus Union (UMU) President Eon Andrews has since described City Hall’s move to remove the drivers as “ridiculous” and “visionless”.
He said the move was also irrational as it was clearly not thoroughly thought through.
The bus drivers came out on Monday morning to protest M&CC’s decision to relocate vendors to their park.
They held a protest that started on Brickdam, Georgetown and stretched all the way to Lombard Street, where bus drivers were trolling through the roadways to secure a spot as soon as one of their colleagues departed.
Short-drop car operators who were also affected have already protested and were able to come up with a solution with the M&CC. The drivers have agreed to pay a $1500 fee to the M&CC to use the area.
This newspaper was told that the car drivers would be given a lane to operate in at the park.
The livelihoods of those car and bus drivers have been severely affected since August 31.
