City Hall’s move is ridiculous, visionless – minibus association

Grove/Diamond bus park removal
The move made by City Hall to remove the Grove/Diamond route 42 buses, along with short drop car drivers, to facilitate the vendors of the Stabroek Market Wharf area, was described as “ridiculous” and “visionless” by the President of the United Minibus Union (UMU), Eon Andrews.
Andrews during an interview with Guyana Times on Saturday said the move was also irrational as it was clearly not thoroughly thought through.
“I think it was ridiculous. I think it is visionless because I know a couple of years ago there was a plan to put these persons (vendors) who were on that wharf north of the Digicel place where they had an Outpost so that they can do the necessary repairs. The postponement of that has caused the situation to worsen and now people could have died because of that thing breaking off,” head of the UMU posited.
He went on to say that the recent move by the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) has not only affected the drivers but is also a burden to the said vendors who will be using the area.
“They ran wildly and cage off that place like if they putting animals in some cage, because it has to be with the condition of that road. I don’t see how vendors are going to feel comfortable because any lil drizzle it’s going to be flooded,” Andrews said.
“It is either corruption, mismanagement, thoughtlessness and probably not feelings for anybody but themselves,” he added.
He even stressed that the Council should have at least informed the drivers of their intentions to remove them, prior to displacing them.
He added that City Hall’s recent cry for help to the Public Infrastructure Ministry is unwarranted, since the project falls under their premise and they are completely responsible for its present state, since they would have procrastinated in doing the necessary repairs.
This newspaper understands that the minibus drivers have planned strike action for the coming week.
Short drop car operators who are also affected have already protested and were able to come up with a solution with the Mayor and City Council. The drivers have agreed to pay a $1500 fee to M&CC to use the area.
Guyana Times was told that the car drivers will be given a lane to operate in at the park.
Meanwhile, the minibus drivers who have been displaced have since signalled strike action over the matter if proper intervention are not made next week.
Meanwhile, most of the displaced drivers have been plying their trade along Lombard Street.
This move currently causes a major backup in the flow of traffic within that area, especially during the peak hours.