Hire car drivers call for Police crackdown

Private-car taxis

A number of hire car drivers are once again voicing complaints against private car drivers and are seeking the intervention of the Guyana Police Force (GPF).
The matter was brought to the attention of Guyana Times by several drivers who operate on Main Street in the vicinity of Courts Ltd.
The aggrieved men related to this publication that the private car drivers would frequently flock the area where they ply their trade. The action by the private car drivers was described as a “fight down”. The drivers noted that with the additional cars working in the area, it is difficult for them to acquire passengers as easily as they did before, resulting in them not making enough money to maintain a suitable living. The drivers have also noted that they have reported the issue to the Police on many occasions; however, the Police would just pass by the area quickly or in some instances, their complaints were ignored.
When the area was visited, several private car drivers could be seen plying their trade. Shockingly, the private cars being operated as taxis outnumbered the hire cars.
Meanwhile, officials at the GPF Traffic Department have stated that they have never received any such complaints. A traffic officer vehemently denied any knowledge of these reports, noting that there were no records of them.
When asked about the procedure regarding this misconduct, Traffic Officer Superintendent Ramesh Ashram stated, “We usually act on reports, when they (hire car drivers) report it, we formulate a suitable time to crack down on it”
Superintendent Ashram went on to explain that traffic ranks were in the habit of checking various areas around the city. “We usually do routine checks every couple weeks or so,” he stated.
It is a common practice, especially in and around Georgetown for private car drivers to operate as taxis or hire cars. This practice is against the laws of Guyana and is a punishable offence. Hire car drivers are appealing to the GPF to swiftly crack down on the practice, as it is jeopardising their livelihood.