Route 56 minibus owners peeved over Association’s operation

Route 56 minibus owners are peeved over the way the Berbice River Bridge Owners Minibus Association is operating.
Among some of the issues, Guyana Times understands, that are affecting the bus operators include the lack of elections in a timely manner within the Association and the abuse being meted out to them.
The Association has always been considered a model as drivers are only allowed to work three of four days per week and only a certain amount of buses are allowed to operate each day so that everyone gets a fair chance at operating.
The association has seven groups consisting of seven buses each and only four

groups of 28 buses operate each day. Arrangements are also in place to determine which days a particular group will be the first set of buses to be filled and which will be last.
Moreover, the system also allows for buses to be filled in an orderly manner by a dispatcher. However, some of the bus owners are upset at the way they are being treated by dispatchers.
One of the owners, Takoor Singh, told this publication that as an owner/operator, he is dissatisfied with the association.
“The dispatchers’ attitude towards drivers is very bad,” he said while relating a recent incident.
“They are not dealing with us in a way that we can operate in a balance, sometimes they curse you,” he added.
Another owner/operator, Nadira Swarswattie, who was only allowed to join the Association after purchasing a bus from a member who was migrating, related that there is a penalty for drivers who arrive late.
Drivers are required to be at the parks in New Amsterdam or Rosignol at 06:30h and if a driver arrives after that time, then he/she can no longer hold the prearranged position and is sent to the back of the line.
But the peeved operators noted that this punishment is only meted out to certain

drivers, while others are given preferential treatment. According to Swarswattie, this has been brought to the attention of executive members of the Association but nothing has been done to address their concerns.
“These dispatchers would abuse you when you speak for your rights. Sometimes the President is there and he does nothing,” she stated.
Swarswattie also related that almost one year ago, one of the Vice Presidents of the Association disrespected her by exposing private parts of his body to her. This incident, she said, was reported to the police and nothing had been done.
Furthermore, the female driver also expressed concerns that as operators, they are required to give the dispatchers $300 every time they are leaving the park with passengers.
She related that the dispatchers are not there from the first trip and sometimes arrive at the park until 10:00h and they are still required to give them money for trips made in their absence.
Meanwhile, President of the Association, Dennis Chesney, in an invited comment said he too has been verbally abused by the dispatcher, who is also the secretary of the association but not a bus owner. He noted that the police has been contacted on the issue.
On the other hand, some of the members say elections were due two years ago and Chesney’s tenure is now illegal. According to them, it was since 2014 that the last election was held but Chesney says that his term will be up in March this year.
The association is being considered a close-knitted one which denies new and large membership thus ensuring that existing members can make a living.
One bus owner, Sundat Sukhai, explained that he had applied to join the Association but was refused until he was able to purchase a bus from a member who as migrating. He also pointed out that the Association had allowed one of the dispatchers to bring a new bus into the Association and become a member.
The Route 56 bus owners/operators are now calling for the intervention of relevant authorities to address their concerns.