Route 42 operators want relocation from flood-hit minibus park

…as morning floods affect capital

As the intermittent rains poured on Tuesday, several Timehri (Route 42) bus park operators demanded that City Hall relocate their temporary bus park which is prone to flooding. They were relocated from the Stabroek Square, Georgetown to High Street, Georgetown to facilitate the temporary transfer of displaced stall owners at the deteriorating Stabroek Market Wharf.

The bus operators’ latest challenge was Tuesday morning’s flood waters which displaced them from the park which some termed a river. Others view the location as a hotbed of illicit activities, including crime and prostitution.
“Imagine we mixing with the prostitutes and the thieves, school children going to lessons and coming home lil late, people working and going home in the evenings and even foreigners who use the public transportation to be taken to the airport, all of we have to be in between thieves and prostitutes, no respect they (City Hall) don’t have for we,” an operator explained.
Operators related also that they had to beg the Traffic Department for them to park outside the nearby Ashmins store with strict instructions to return to the assigned High Street parking space today (Wednesday). However, in their view, they must return to their original parking areas. Some operators even said the Mayor is not looking into their interests.
Everton Pole, who has been operating for some 20 years, said minibus operators make a significant contribution towards transportation in Guyana. He berated City Hall’s treatment of the operators.
“Let’s say that they want to relocate us from there, what is wrong with having consultations with us, what is wrong with meeting us and letting us have an input into this thing… They are treating us like animals, like me are moving from one pasture to the next… They had no discussion with us at all,” Pole explained.
The frustrated man also criticised the United Minibus Union (UMU) which he said has not been looking into their concerns. “I’m hearing about the minibus association, he (UMU President Eon Andrews) never came to us and had any discussions with us as it relates to what our concerns are and what issues needs to be addressed urgently…When we talk about representation for this Timehri Park, it’s at zero. You can’t not be in touch with the local people but you going at a forum and want to make representation, oh no, it’s not going to happen,” the man stated.
Christopher Johnny, a passenger, chimed in with the operators to vent his frustration, calling for the Mayor to vacate her post.
“It’s very bad here because in the night you could come and get rob. Like the Mayor just get up with a dream and say that the park has to be moved. She ain’t know what she doing, like she own the town… I want the Mayor to come out of office…” Johnny remarked.