“Uncontrollable” touts wreaking havoc at city bus parks

Uncontrollable minibus touting has become a common practice at minibus parks throughout Georgetown.

It is so commonplace that many young adults have made it their daily profession so as to earn some form of income. However, such an act is illegal within the constraint of Guyana’s laws and is often viewed as a public nuisance.
Touts would come out as early as 06:00h and work around the clock until evening, most buses stop operating. The men equip themselves with caps and umbrellas to shield themselves against the weather, standing at strategic locations of the bus parks awaiting the arrival of passengers to fill incoming buses.
In some instances, touts only load buses that they are familiar with as the drivers would pay them after.
One bus driver explained that the buses work with a line system whereby one is filled after the other. However, touts would give preference to “hot plate” buses. The drivers of these buses, he said, would skip the line and solicit passengers regularly.
Another driver added that touts survey the perimeter for policemen, allowing drivers to avoid the long bus lines. The driver explained that the touts would have incoming passengers wait for the bus at strategic points along the roadside. However, this constantly obstructs the smooth flow of traffic along the bus routes.
The driver who informed that he complies with the line system for loading buses said, “Is like these drivers don’t got no regards for police. They know they supposed to deh in the line and yet they does be loading their bus outside. Them police does be out here patrolling and yet them banna does continue with their lawlessness. When them notice the police spot them, see how quick them does hustling fuh tell them touts lock them door fuh drive off.”’
Conversely, not all bus drivers see touting as malpractice. Some expressed that touts are very useful in times when passengers are scarce and when there are many buses crowding the park. They are also helpful to drivers who do not have conductors to manage the door while passengers come into the bus.
One Route 42 (Georgetown-Timehri) bus driver said, “I really don’t see them as a problem. Some of them got to up their game. But they do come in really handy especially on a slow day. They does go all out to bring passengers to get a few dollars.”
Some other drivers indicated that these young men who help to load the buses have become very violent.
In addition, they compete with each to see who can get the most passengers to fill buses, which often leads to fistfights among themselves.
As a matter of fact, people who take public transportation have complained of touts being aggressive, loud and obnoxious. They are even verbally abusive to passersby and react vehemently towards individuals who refuse to enter their identified buses. Overloading buses is also very common among touts and there’s always a tug-of-war between them and passengers.
“These boys annoying. They just come and hold on to people school bag and pull them to go in their bus. Then they want pack you like sardine in a tin and expect you to pay the full fare”, said one high school student who is a frequent passenger of the Route 44 (Georgetown- Mahaica) bus.
In addition to that, she highlighted that some touts use the opportunity to rob students and even the passengers they get hold of. “Many of them does pick yah pocket and steal your phones and the police are never in sight to ketch them.”
Samantha, a working-class citizen, recalled her unfortunate robbery involving a tout. She said “I was sitting inside the bus by a window and waiting for the bus to full then out of nowhere one of them snatched my handbag and ran away from the bus into a crowded street. I was left shocked and startled. Everyone there witnessed the incident including the bus driver he was working with. But the driver pretended like nothing happened. So, I believe all of them were involved in the robbery.”
Elderly passengers are also victims of touting.
One senior citizen who takes the Route 40 bus (Georgetown – Kitty/Campbellville) explained that the touts would often grab her and force her into a bus she does not travel in. She strongly believes that they need to conduct themselves in a decent way in order to attract passengers.
On top of that, she added, “Some of these boys does trick you and tell you that the bus needs two or three more passengers. When them carry you to the bus or the bus roll up you is the first one inside.”
Lawrence, another elderly person, alluded that touts are very rude and vulgar to pensioners, especially those who may need assistance with boarding the bus. “They pull and tug at me sometimes and it is very hard to evade them. A time one of them injured my leg when I was about to sit in the bus. They can be very troublesome to deal with,” added Lawrence.
He further said that touts need to be removed from the bus parks and more traffic police should be present to ensure that the buses are orderly. If this cannot be done, Lawrence expressed that touts should be more polite to elderly passengers, allowing them to go about their business in peace without interruption.
Despite several campaigns by the Guyana Police Force to clamp down on touting, the lawlessness continues daily.