Issue of overloading minibuses has to be tackled by Police – UMU

Eon Andrews, head of the United Minibus Union (UMU), has disclosed that overloading of minibuses and playing loud music therein have to be dealt with by the Guyana Police Force (GPF), and not by the Union.
Noting that the UMU has no control over the overloading of minibuses and the other issues affecting minibus operators, the UMU President has said he believes it is simply a matter for which law makers should be responsible.
Andrews explained that when such matters are addressed by policy makers they register greater impact on drivers, rather than when the Union just makes a statement.
“When certain things are implemented in Parliament, or even to the Ministry of Public Security, enforcement would have to be the element that the Police have to be responsible for. The lewd music, overcrowding, these are things that the Police have to handle. And even though we are advocating that these things should not happen, we cannot make anything happen when we have a culture of lawlessness and greed today,” Andrews asserted.
He said what the travelling public needs to take into consideration is that these drivers also have bills to pay and maintenance costs of their vehicles to handle. However, he opined, “It doesn’t mean that because they have to pay that we must make that sector alone comfortable”.
Last week, a reckless driver and conductor found themselves confined within the walls of the Providence Magistrate’s Court, as they were made to answer to several charges relative to the overloading of a minibus.
They were charged with overcrowded front seat, breach of insurance, untidy driver, overloaded minibus, untidy conductor and unlicensed conductor.
Police went in search of the men after a video posted on social media showed a total of 45 school children being packed into the minibus, an accusation that the driver and conductor have denied.