Dear Editor,
It is no surprise the government arrested with the mini buses so called union to increase twenty dollars on each passenger thus creating more hardship on the working class. Whilst in reality the average man would end up paying at least one hundred and twenty dollars more a day.
Some people have to use three or four means of transportation in order to reach either to work or home, especially those living in New schemes and those who living in the West and East Bank of Demerara and East Bank Essequibo which causes their travelling expense to be more. With the increase, no doubt the short drop cars would also increase their fares which are already above the average presently.
There are some buses that work long distance and their fares are rounded off to the closest hundred, do you believe the will let it remains the same? Given the culture of the operators, I know they will not and they will see to increase it more that the agreed twenty dollars and they would cite the distance to suck the blood out of people.
Editor, to polish the increase off and defend their actions, the mini buses make a lot of promises about regulations for the buses and they believe that the travelling public are morons. They take it ob their own to increase fares before and also make similar promises but the situation remains the same in terms of overloading, appearances, attitudes towards commuters etc.
There is also the headache of travelling in buses that the seat seems to be made of iron which causes tremendous discomfort when you seated and the buses goes over bumps, holes etc.
Some buses causes’ material and physical damages to you because of some piece of dangerous iron or welding not look after or some bolts are extra-long and they don’t see the need to modify/rectify it. Like the mini buses, the union collect huge amount of money and not paying taxes on it.
I’ve said before, there’s too many buses in the road and there will always be a fight down amongst one another to make more trips. Some only gets to make two trips and with the increase, we the commuters would actually pay for them not doing a proper day work. Instead of the union see to put a limit of buses to work a zone, they seek to pressure the public.
It’s real hardship for us. They only sit back and use situations to seek increase in fares while majority or working people’s salary are the same for years whilst they increase at least three times already.
Sincerely,
Sahadeo Bates
