Fuel price increase: Berbice hire car operators demand increase in fares

As a result of the increase in fuel price, hire car operators who ply the Corentyne route are demanding that they be allowed to increase their fares.
Prices at the pumps have increased sharply in recent weeks. In fact, world market oil prices have more than doubled when compared with the prices at the start of the year.
Operators plying the Crabwood Creek-Corriverton route are demanding a 40 per cent increase in fares, taking it from $100 to $140.
Some are demanding as high as $200. Commuters have expressed reluctance to pay the requested increases.

Operators plying the Corriverton-New Amsterdam route are also seeking similar increases and are being met with the same resistance.
More than 40 car operators parked their vehicles in the vicinity of Corriverton Market and held placards protesting.
Several persons were seen carrying heavy bags as they were forced to walk their journey. Others were seen standing and waiting and some said they had been waiting on cars for over an hour.
“Abe barely scrape lil money fo buy lil ration now abe gotta pay extra money fo travel an go abe house,” Ramnarine Jhandu said as he sat on the curb at Corriverton hoping to get a car to take him home at Number 57 Village.
He normally pays $200 from Corriverton to Number 57 Village but now he is being asked to pay more.
He could not say what was the fare the operators were requesting but stated that he had been waiting and there were no cars available to take him home.
The operators converged at two locations; one for cars operating between Corriverton and New Amsterdam and the other for cars operating from Crabwood Creek to the Upper Corentyne Coast.
Takurdyal Rasharry, who plies the Crabwood Creek route, said throughout the country articles and items have been raising and in Corriverton the fares for hire cars have remained the same for 15 years.
“Gasoline raised, each and every part for a car has also raised and it is high time we need a change. We need an increase in fare. Our price list that we are suggesting is not bad; short drop $140 long drop $200 and $300 to go in the street. It takes time to go into the street and some streets are very bad,” he explained.
“We are human beings we have needs also just like everyone else. We have bills to pay and some of us have loans also to be paid,” Rasharry added.
Meanwhile, Muhammed Fazilla, who operates along the Corriverton-New Amsterdam route, said it is a small increase they are requesting.
“We are not asking for much it is just a little thing to cover a gas price. Everything is expensive for us and we cannot manage it. The maintenance of a vehicle is triple what it used to be. Is a peaceful protest,” he said and vowed not to work until their demands are met.
The fare from Corriverton to Number 64 Village is $100 and drivers say it cannot compensate.
“We are asking that customers pay $200 for that drop, $300 from here the Number 70 Village which will help us to be able to buy gas and maintain our vehicles. Otherwise, we will be forced to park our cars and everyone will have to walk,” he said.
“If the gas drops a lot we will modify it a little bit because the prices for parts are still very expensive.”
The drivers say that they do not have a fare structure and passengers are refusing the pay the increases they are asking for.
They are calling on the relevant authorities to intervene and help them to have a fare structure, one which well take into account the recent increases in gas prices and the increases in vehicle parts over the past decade.
Back in May last year, Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond said no approval was given to hire cars in Region Six for a fare increase.
She pointed out that the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, which has control over the increase in fares and rates for hire cars and other forms of public transportation, has stated that no approval has been given for an increase in fares for hire cars plying routes in Region Six.
Her comments came after operators plying several routes in the region had parked their vehicles demanding increases following a limitation on the number of passengers cars were allowed to carry as part of COVID-19 measures.
Despite those utterances by the Minister, operators plying some route increased fares and have not reduced them even when vehicles were allowed to carry the normally stipulated passengers. (G4)