Corentyne hire car operators call for increased fares

Hire care operators plying the New Amsterdam-Corentyne route on Monday parked their vehicles in protest over rising fuel prices, calling for increased fares.
The operators are demanding a 50 per cent and above fare hike.
The operators parked their cars outside of the Lewis Manor Police Outpost along the East Coast Berbice Highway, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), and held placards calling for fares to be increased from $200 to $300 for a ride from New Amsterdam to Rose Hall Town. They are also proposing an increase of $300 from New Amsterdam to Corriverton to make the new fare $1000 and New Amsterdam to Moleson Creek from $1200 to $2000.
The drivers pointed to the rise in operational cost as being their main reason for their demands.
One of the drivers, Kissoon Bisram, said that their main challenge is the increase in fuel prices, noting that there has been a steady rise in the cost of petrol.
Currently, the price is US$0.828 or $173 Guyana dollars per litre.
Gasoline prices tend to increase when the available supply of gasoline decreases relative to real or expected gasoline demand or consumption. This is on the world market. Nevertheless, as fuel prices rise, Government lowers the consumption tax so that the increases are not felt at the pump.
Meanwhile, Bisram argued that the need to increase fares is justified since there has been no increase for more than 24 years.
“When the public servants, the Police, the soldiers ask for raise of pay they get it and we never ask for a raise of pay for over 24 years. Things in the supermarket gone up. We have family and have to get money to give them,” Bisram said.
He also compared fares other operators in the region receive for the service they offer, saying the New Amsterdam-Rose Hall fare is by far the lowest.
“Up the Bank, they charging $200 and is about four miles, from New Amsterdam to Georgetown they charging $2000 and in the night $2500 to $3000. In Black Bush Polder they charging $300 from Mibicuri to Adventure which is just a few miles and we carrying persons 15 and 16 miles for $200. The pressure is on us so we have to strike for the raise of pay. We want $300 for each passenger plus to fetch four passengers.”
When the National COVID-19 Task Force had implemented restrictions on the number of persons allowed to commute, vehicle operators plying the Corentyne route had upped fares.
The New Amsterdam-Rose Hall Town fare moved from $200 to $300. When those restrictions were relaxed, many of the operators continued to implement them and charge the higher fare.
The driver indicated that while the hire car operators can arbitrarily hike their prices, he would prefer for a Government regulator to approve the increases so that they can be accepted by commuters.
Increases in commute fares are often overseen by the Tourism, Commerce and Industry Ministry. (G4)