“Drivers are bleeding people dry”- president of minibus union calls for enforcement

…as fares escalate in Christmas season

President of the United Minibus Union (UMU), Eon Andrews, has strongly condemned the exploitation passengers endure during the holiday rush, and has described the action of some minibus drivers as “bleeding people dry.”
With Christmas activities in full swing, the situation has sparked outrage among commuters, who are already grappling with the rising costs for travel during the festive season. In an exclusive interview with this publication on Wednesday, the union leader has expressed concerns over reports of increased fares and a lack of accountability among certain operators.
“People are calling me all day: East Coast, East Bank, West Bank, West Coast; these routes that go out of town, they’re bleeding people dry. Doubling up fares, tripling up fares, threatening, refusing to carry people if they don’t pay. And I’m going to tell you this, even though I do represent many buses, many of them may not be in the union, but whatever benefit is approved they get. But I will not allow the union to be irresponsible enough to even discuss increasing fares,” the UMU President shared.

As a result, the union has called on regulatory bodies to step up enforcement measures to ensure that drivers adhere to fare guidelines and other regulations.
According to Andrews, he has engaged Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn on several occasions, and commitments have been made to have the price structure publicly displayed for the various routes within vehicles, among other measures.
“You know, so it’s tough. And then again, the person that travels in the evening, especially when they finish work or they return from school, they want to go home so bad. So, what I’m seeing there is people drawing their salaries (and) way more than half of it goes into transportation,” he said.
“As it is, I asked him, I told him we spoke, then we asked, you know, the Road Safety Month, and he said he was then there, was to have these fees and let the traffic police hear them out, and these drivers now failing to comply with the price structure there, they will know what to do,” he added.
As the Christmas season continues, commuters are urging swift action to address the issue. In the meantime, the general public is urged to report cases to the relevant authorities, and follow through with complaints so as to enhance compliance.
“What has happened before, even before now, what I had advised commuters, and the police did it too, that whenever these things occur, make a report to the station. A lot of these buses were pulled in, people were taken before the court, and the complainants never turned up. And I can understand why. You’re working where you’re working, and you’ve got to go to court. Sometimes you’re not in good stead with your workplace. You know, so it’s tough,” Andrews relayed.
However, the UMU has urged minibus operators to desist from exploiting citizens.
Highlighting the fluctuating maintenance prices which are often cited by drivers as a reason why a higher fare is demanded, Andrews revealed that, owing to circumstances, it would not be a fair move to demand that consumers pay a higher fare. (G1)