The announcement by the Home Affairs Ministry that an app is being developed to report crimes occurring in the public transport sector is most welcoming.
This new app would allow passengers to record incidents on public transportation, allowing for immediate access by law enforcement to act swiftly.
It is apt that the announcement was made at the Guyana National Road Safety Stakeholders Forum 2023.
According to the information released by the Ministry, the app would allow passengers to record incidents using their phone’s camera and microphone, and provide a brief description of the situation/offence being committed. This would then allow the Traffic Department to monitor incidents in real-time and respond immediately.
On more than one occasion, this newspaper had called out public transport operators for unacceptable attitudes, which has been a sore point over the years. This behaviour has worsened despite pleas from the public. Sadly, it’s not just one area of concern, but wide ranging within the service they provide, and to other road users.
Much has been said about the loud and lewd music which all, including schoolchildren, are forced to endure on a daily basis. There is no respite, and any objection by commuters is met with disdain, disrespect, and wanton abuse in many cases. It appears that there is no consideration by these uncaring operators that they depend on the commuters for their livelihood.
In a country that is slowly becoming more service-oriented, those who buy are given due importance, as competitiveness increases. Maybe the time for competitiveness in public transportation, which many believe has passed, is now. The provision of this service is bread and butter for the operators and many owners; however, safety for road users and the provision of a better service cannot be continually disregarded.
In an age when the wheel is no longer invented, lessons can be leant from some Caribbean countries that have the service regularised. Templates can be borrowed from countries that have both private and Government-operated services. The power of choice not just empowers, in this case commuters, but brings competition that generally redounds in better services.
Of course, there is the argument of preference for some for what is currently provided by the minibus operators. The bottom line is that they do not speak for everyone. Those who have been shamed for speaking up against loud and profanity-laced music crave a service or system that would bring them much-needed relief. Same for the elderly, same for those with illnesses, and same for those who are harassed and pressured, sometimes physically, into a minibus.
Some commuters, based on knowledge, tend to choose the minibus they wish to travel in, so as to reduce the likelihood of being exposed to the blaring music and, to some extent, avoid being subjected to indiscriminate driving. But sometimes circumstance may not allow for this, given urgencies, weather, and other related factors. There is also the scenario of the appearance of a “peaceful” minibus before the journey commences, but afterwards the music booms, trapping commuters. While some would disembark, others may not, for good reasons.
In fairness to operators, some are trying to provide a proper service, have shown respect to commuters, and abide by traffic laws. They would have, over time, highlighted challenges faced, including that from touts. While one expectation would be for them to be more vociferous and to advocate for change from within, it appears that the odds are stacked against them. From peer pressure and pressure to meet their daily target to influential owners of some minibuses, it is made difficult for change from within.
Running red lights, speeding, not returning change, some drinking while driving, cutting dangerously into the path of other drivers, demanding with their hands out that they must pass or get in front, carrying way in excess of the number of passengers legally allowed, and using roads that are not authorised as per their road service are some of the indiscretions commuters and other road users are forced to endure by some minibus operators.
Regularisation must be driven by the dire need to raise the standard of service and safety. It must not only be important for the creation of a friendly and caring image to tourists, but fundamentally, to Guyanese who daily toil and make sacrifices here to pay requisite fares.
