“Why is Govt wasting our time? – minibus association

Venting his frustration over Government’s slow approach to a proposal submitted to the Business Ministry over a week ago, President of the United Minibus Union (UMU), Eon Andrews, on Thursday expressed dissatisfaction over Government’s seemingly careless attitude towards tackling the woes of the minibus and transportation sector at large.
Andrews had, over one week ago, submitted to Business Minister Dominic Gaskin a proposal for not only a fare increase, but several other requests in regard to the transportation sector with the hope of having addressed the several issues plaguing that sector.

Andrews is contending that the Business Ministry should have informed the Union that several other Ministries would have to be consulted on the matter, instead of leaving the union proverbially at sea.
“I noticed yesterday in (Guyana) Times where he (Minister Gaskin) had indicated that he got to — because of the nature of the thing (proposal) — he has to consult the other relevant ministers. But he had not indicted that to me, and that would have been good if he had said that to us, so that we would have known we would have had to wait a little bit,” Andrews reasoned.
“I don’t know why the Government is wasting our time,” Andrews declared.
He added that, under the previous administration, such matters were given more urgency, especially since it is one which has a chain effect on not only drivers, but commuters as well.
“They (the previous administration) would have dealt with it, even if we had to just talk. They would have called us in already, we would have been talking…they always would have called us in quickly,” he said.
The Union head has said he is concerned that minibus operators might take certain actions which may very well affect commuters if the Government does not deal with the issue in a timely manner.
According to him, it is not the UMU’s vision to exploit commuters, but to set fares which are ‘fair to everyone’. Andrews said he is aware of cases in which passengers are being made to pay increases in transportation fares as high as $60, when all that the UMU has requested is a $20 increase for short drop drivers and $40 increase for drivers who travel longer distances.
“We are concerned because, if they (minibus drivers) take action, it means that especially the travelling public, although it is a free-man transportation, they will punish. There may be persons who may react to those increases, and you know, there might be some violence and police story and these kinds of things; so I don’t think that’s the way anybody wants us to go. So I think that the Government ought to do something quickly,” the UMU president posited.
The Business Minister recently told reporters he is not responsible for fixing minibus fares, and he just intervened from a consumer point of view in order to find out their concerns.
He went on to say that the proposal which was submitted to his Ministry will be shared with the respective Ministers, who will then carry the burden of introducing the said proposal to Cabinet.
The proposal for a fare increase comes at a time where minibus and taxi drivers have been protesting, and even striking, about the climbing gas prices.
Desperate to get the attention they need, drivers blocked the Vryheid’s Lust access road along the East Coast Railway Embankment. Several tyres were burnt, and an old car was set on fire to garner the attention needed, with the hope of having the fuel crisis addressed.
Several protests were also organised by drivers of the various routes subsequent to this incident. Gas station prices for fuel have increased rapidly, from $215 per litre to prices ranging from $230 to $250 per litre.