Stricter enforcement needed by public transport operators – Minibus Union

COVID-19 measures

United Minibus Union (UMU) President Eon Andrews has called for stricter enforcement of the safety measures in place for public transportation amid mounting criticisms of operators’ lacklustre approach to COVID-19.
Andrews on Wednesday said that there should be a revision of the current measures as they relate to the public transport system, but until then, he urged that the existing protocols be enforced.
“Their irrational behaviour is fuelled by greed and indiscipline, and we can’t run away from that. There has to be training,” Andrews said.
According to the Minibus Union President, public transportation operators have been placing economic benefits ahead of safety.
“When the topic of bus fares come up around the parks, you may need the entire National Park to keep that meeting. But if you were to discuss things like these (reducing passenger load due to COVID-19) , they are always busy … the only way they come off the road is when the Traffic Police lock them up…,” he explained.
Further, Andrews suggested that there be a reduction in the number of persons carried in public transportation per trip.
“I was very disappointed when the last Administration would have announced that 75 per cent is going to be the number of persons that are going to be allowed, which ought not to be… 75 per cent is just one less than what the bus normally holds, which means you have three in a seat. There is no social distancing, there has to be two in a seat… 65 per cent”.
Andrews added that both operators and commuters needed to take precautions.
“I have seen bus drivers without mask, I have seen them allowing people to come in the bus without a mask. They must refuse persons who are coming into their buses without a mask, and the passengers has a responsibility also where he ought not to go in a bus if there are passengers in there without mask,” the Minibus Union President said.
On the matter of minibus touts, Andrews declared that it was a shame that as passengers approached the minibus parks, their bags were entering one bus while they were entering another as a result of unruly touts.
“… the court system, the fine needs to be harder… they are too soft, … we need to put systems in place that at least once or twice, you lose your licences…,” Andrews added.
Meanwhile, in response, Traffic Chief Ramesh Ashram, said that the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has been carrying out a weekly exercise, whereby ranks have been arresting and charging touts.
“Why does an adult person have to get someone to tell them which bus to go in? … why must we tell a person not to go into an overloaded bus? When you look back at it, you want to know the educational programmes, if persons are looking at it…. because the same thing we keep lecturing and the same thing drivers and other persons on the road (persist in),” he said.
According to the Traffic Chief, the Tourism Ministry, the GPF, and the minibus unions should work closely to implement a code of conduct as it relates to drivers of minibuses. He said that a code of conduct was previously implemented, but fell apart shortly after launching.
As it relates to the number of passengers being in a public transport vehicle at any one time, Ashram said there should be less than the 65 per cent as suggested by Andrews. He explained that the social distancing standard for COVID-19 was persons should be six feet apart, but a bus was just seven feet wide
“We should look at one in every other seat… we need to be our brothers’ keepers,” he said. (G9)