The Mayor and City Council (M&CC) has removed more minibus parks to accommodate vendors of the Stabroek Market Wharf, which collapsed a few weeks ago.
A section of the cordoned bus park
Guyana Times understands the Route 41 (Stabroek to South) and 46 (Durban, Lodge) minibuses were greeted to a barricaded park when they turned up to work.
The drivers argued that they were never served a notice nor were they consulted.
Odel Thom, a conductor, who operates in the South park told Guyana Times on Monday that the move by City Hall will cause financial difficulties for operators.
“Right now we losing. Bus transportation, it really inconveniencing. First thing, it ain’t even got park to park up hay suh. Watch de parking spot, watch. All this hay suh is different bus. It got 41 bus, Forty-six. It’s really inconveniencing and how they so disrespectful they ain’t even inform us as drivers you understand. Remember people got to go to work, people got to go home from children got to go to school (in the next few days), things got to buy you understand meh and them just come jus suh. At least we wudda glad if they wudda tell we something. Call we before or make a place proper for we park, cause watch hay is bare corruption,” an irate Thom said.
He also complained that the traffic is congested in the area, since drivers are now operating just beside the barricades placed by M&CC.
Another operator, Jamal Simon, said, “All they got to do is inform people in how they does do things. You do things jus so drastic like fuss. If they inform people ‘today you gun be inconvenienced for certain thing’ everybody would be more better. They need to be more responsible… remember now everybody ain’t got the luxury to get car and them thing. They gah be more respectable to people them on de road.”
Solomon (only name given), a driver who plies his trade via the Guyhoc-Stabroek route said the park was blocked off since last week. He added that the M&CC should have found a suitable place to relocate the bus drivers, since the area is already crowded.
City Hall first removed the route 42 (Diamond-Grove) minibuses earlier in August.
They were later placed at Bugle Street, Georgetown where drivers complained about their safety.
The Timehri buses, also of the 42-zone, were later removed and placed on High Street, where they also complained about their safety.
President of the United Minibus Union, Eon Andrews has since said he views City Hall’s move as “visionless” and “ridiculous”.
“I think it was ridiculous. I think it is visionless… it is either corruption, mismanagement, thoughtlessness and probably not feelings for anybody but themselves,” he stated.
Several attempts made by this newspaper to contact the authorities at City Hall were unsuccessful.
