Despite COVID-19 warnings, minibus operators, especially those in the city, continue to overload their buses when transporting passengers.
Police Commissioner Leslie James
In light of this situation, President of the United Minibus Union (UMU), Eon Andrews has called on the Traffic Department of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) 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 persons 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 …. WHO, PAHO, all these institutions have been putting out advisories that need to be conducted. Guyanese don’t take things seriously,” he said.
United Minibus Union President Eon Andrews
On Saturday several persons who reside on the East Coast of Demerara expressed their frustration and disappointment in the minibus operators, who traverse the East Coast corridors.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has also advised that the virus can spread via a cough or sneeze droplets, but the study found germs can linger in the air for long periods.
Sandra Cummings, a resident of Melanie, ECD, and also a vendor in Georgetown, said: “These divers and bus conductors are unreasonable, they don’t even care for their own lives so why would they care for other people’s lives? I travelled on a bus yesterday (Friday) to get to work, and the conductor was going four in a seat. Everybody on the bus was annoyed with him and telling him that he is taking this virus for granted. In anger, he almost put us off because we were speaking for our rights.”
Fifty-two-year-old Pauline Bacchus, who resides at Dazzel Scheme, said: “Guyanese people don’t ever take anything seriously; they are always joking around. This is something very serious, thousands of people are dying, countries are shutting down, businesses are closing and these drivers and conductors are playing with people’s lives. Just yesterday, I was going on a bus and the bus was carrying four persons in a seat”.
Meanwhile, to combat the disease, it is recommended that all persons take steps to prevent infection by practising social distancing, avoiding public gatherings and non-essential travel.
In a move to protect the health and wellbeing of Guyanese, the Public Health Ministry has also urged every Ministry/Department/Region to sanitise their work environment intermittently, to contain the spread or COVID-19.
