Dear Editor,
During the Christmas holidays, hire car operators on the West Bank of Demerara subject members of the public to hefty fare increases, which tend to revert to regular rates when the period concludes. However, of late, I have noticed an alarming trend, wherein car operators who ply routes from Vreed-en-Hoop to Wales, La Parfaite Harmonie, Canal No. One and elsewhere have taken it upon themselves to permanently impose unilateral fare increases.
Whereas the car fare from Vreed-en-Hoop to Patentia/ Wales was $160, commuters are now paying $200; while to travel from Vreed-en-Hoop to La Grange and Bagotville, many hire car drivers are demanding the same $200, even though the “old” fare is $120.
Another irregularity is seen in the Stanleytown fare (before you turn to Canal No.2), where $140 has moved to the standard $200.
Editor, it is widely understood that there are rising food and living costs that have been influenced by many prevailing global factors, but when one takes some time to examine the West Bank rates in 2022, the hikes are quite telling. The “new” Wales fare represents an increase of 25%, while the Stanleytown uptick stands at 43%. Further, the La Grange fare represents a 67% increase to the fare commuters paid just last year.
As if all of this were not alarming enough, two of my relatives informed me earlier this week that short drop operators plying the Vreed-en-Hoop area are now calling for the same $200 “standard fare” to villages such as Pouderoyen, Versailles and Goed Fortuin, which are all in a 2-mile zone from Vreed-en-Hoop.
The uniformity in these unilateral increases can result in operators refusing to ply routes of lower West Bank villages like Wales, since they will burn less petrol for the short drops while charging the same fare.
This developing plight is similar to what has been obtaining with many Route 44 buses to East Coast Demerara villages. As that exploitation of commuters continues unchanged, it has now emboldened West Bank operators to follow suit with the $200 fare, even though this distance is much shorter.
These issues altogether highlight the need for a comprehensive and regulated transportation system, especially for the heavily populated areas, so that people can spend more time with their families as opposed to being stranded en masse for hours, waiting on operators. In light of the foregoing, it is my hope that an urgent intervention is made to ensure that fares are properly regulated according to distance, as announced by the appropriate entities.
Sincerely,
Myrtle Fanfair
