Minibus transporting 26 passengers in Essequibo impounded
The students exiting the minibus after it was hauled in by the Guyana Police Force
The driver of a Charity to Supenaam minibus is now in hot water after it was reportedly transporting more than 21 school children. The vehicle was impounded and the Police in Division Two have launched an investigation.
Police stated that at about 09:40h on Friday, ranks of the Regional Police Division No 2, received information that a minibus, with registration number BAB 3749, plying the Charity-Supenaam route, was transporting excess passengers.
As a result, the minibus was intercepted and lodged to be inspected by the regional licensing and certifying officer, and charges will be instituted against the driver and conductor.
“At the time the said minibus was carrying twenty-six (26) persons including school children and adults,” the report stated.
This is the second incident of this kind that has occurred within the last two months. On November 16, 2022, Police stated that they had hauled in a Route 40 minibus driver and the vehicle was impounded at the Traffic Headquarters, Eve Leary, in Georgetown, after a photo posted on social media showed the overloaded bus with a schoolboy slinging from the back of the bus.
The bus that was pulled in by Region Two ranks
The Guyana Police Force had said that they have a zero-tolerance policy for any type of road lawlessness. Subsequently, the minibus driver was charged with breaching his road service license, failing to exhibit revenue license and fitness certificate, tinted motor vehicle, and breach of prescribed fitness.
The issue of minibus operators, especially those in the city, overloading their buses when transporting passengers has been a pressing issue for a number of years. Not long ago, President of the United Minibus Union (UMU), Eon Andrews called on the Traffic Department of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to take urgent action against these operators.
“People are compacted in these buses, even in its regular seating capacity, overloading is against the law, the Police I am expecting to lock up these people… passengers should not agree to that. They cannot pack up these buses. They need to take this seriously… A lot of people don’t have a choice to take public transportation if they want to get from point A to point B. The owners need to be found…”, he said.
In this light, the Guyana Police Force continues to encourage all drivers, pedestrians, and persons using the roadways to be more responsible.
