KINDLY permit me a space in your local newspaper to express my concern on the strike action that minibus operators have taken recently.
It is unreasonable for them to take such an unwarranted action since the price of fuel has not reached the $1000 par that the Government stipulates. Listening to ‘News Update’ on  Tuesday with regard to coverage of the strike action at Lusignan, it is more unreasonable to hear the appeal of drivers for an increase of more than $40 per passenger and $100 dollars for those passengers travelling farther.
If one should do the math, take a Georgetown to Mahaica route bus, 14 passengers at $200 = $2,800 per one way.
This figure will give you $5,600 two ways; some minibuses make 4 to 5 of these two-way trips, which amount to over $22,000. I am certain that less than $2000 fuel is being spent on a two-way trip. Some operators also overload their minibus to an extent where they carry four extra passengers.  The call for such an increase is alarming.
If this increase should be granted, then the government should decrease the PAYE tax on workers and also let the conductors and drivers pay their PAYE and NIS tax and the owners make their contributions as well, of course at an agreed rate that is affordable.

Most of the time in Guyana, new laws are being created for motor vehicles, but yet drivers and conductors breach them by:
• Operating vehicles with no proper dress code
• Operating without a licence, and always boasting that they can get one for five hundred dollars
• Speeding
• Drinking and driving, and also use of drugs
• Disrespecting  elders and the disabled
• Disrespecting  women and school children
• Drivers driving without exercising the 5 C’s
• Bribing their way for overloading
• Using foul language

What needs to be done by the administration is to:
• Take some control of the public transport  by acting swiftly and implementing a regulated system
• Set a dress code for operators
• Provide school buses that are properly managed, use 400M from the Election fund to purchase several 30-seaters and let them work for their maintenance. Look what Guyana’s sister countries in CARICOM are doing with their transport system.
• Ban music in public transportation since this has so far created a new culture for young people whose behaviour is spiralling out of control. No speakers! Drivers that complain of sleeping away because of no music, rubbish! Let them not operate public transport. Imagine, no respect for people when you have music emanating from speakers degrading women, et cetera.  If you enter a minibus with a religious frame of mind, you are faced with listening to music with inappropriate words; and children at young ages are also victims, forced to listen to these lyrics emanating from these speakers.
Owners usually hide these devices in their A/C units, side panels and under their seats, which is noticeable, since those seats are higher, with a board at the bottom.
• Implement a system whereby there can be a bin in minibuses
• Implement a system whereby each minibus can be inspected by  separate bodies, including the insurance providers, since many operators obtain, by bribery, their vehicle fitness when many buses do not pass fitness. Imagine, no proper ventilation( not enough sliding windows), tint, music under the seat which make passengers uncomfortable, too high seats – especially the back seat, defective tyres, braking system, overheating, shabby dash board etc
• Improve parking at bus parks. There are many illegal vending activities in bus parks that hinder the movement in and out of parks. Many people can be seen imbibing alcohol near these parks and sometimes get very disrespectful to women who enter the park.  Also, vendors occupy parking space with their vehicles creating congestion in parking areas.
* Provide lighting at parks, especially for passengers who travel at nights
• Provide security
I am hoping that the relevant authorities can make a good judgment and find a possible solution.