This nonsense to threaten and create panic among the Guyanese public with increased fares by bus operators must be brought to a halt once and for all by bringing the administering of bus fares under the control of the Public Utilities Commission (PUC).

Repeated calls by this column for this to be done has fallen on deaf ears which also predicted that this problem will persist as it is inevitable that fuel prices will fluctuate and bus operators historically have used this situation to fleece the travelling public, who unfortunately are from the poorer sections of our society.

Of course there are reasonable and decent bus operators but one would think they are in the minority and therefore the prevailing views of the latter normally overwhelm that of the former. And the end result is that the traveling public suffers.

Minister of Tourism, Manniram Prashad, has correctly advised commuters not to heed reports of an impending increase in minibus fares as reported by another segment of the media, labelling them as “totally erroneous” and “a breach of good faith.”

He pointed out that what was being carried by the medium at reference was just the view of the president of the General Minibus Association of Guyana, Mr. Lylon Weithers, and not the general perception of other minibus associations, many of whom have since distanced themselves from the issue.

The Minister was adamant that there has been “no fare increases and commuters should refuse to pay such.”

He said that during a meeting last year with his ministry and the minibus association, a verbal agreement was reached whereby the fare for travel in a public transportation would not be increased except in instances when the price of gasoline rises beyond $1,000.

However, the point of contention is that that agreement is a verbal one or what one may term a “gentleman’s agreement” and therefore is not legally binding. So the big question is if increased fares are demanded what tangible recourse passengers have?

In the past when similar situations cropped up and commuters held their ground they became victims of verbal abuse and sometimes physical assaults.

Anyone who is familiar with crude mentality of most bus drivers and conductors would know that they are not persons who would honour a gentleman’s agreement, and as such the only way for them to be brought in line is to have a legally binding fare structure so that if they are in violation of it they could be dealt with by the law.

This is not the first time we are up against such a situation and it will not be the last because of the inevitable fuel prices fluctuation and as such it is imperative that a long term, comprehensive and legally binding solution, rather than resorting to a piece meal approach. There is no other sensible approach to this problem because the bus operators would always try to hold commuters to ransom. That is unfortunately innate in their mentality.

It would not be surprising to hear during this week that they would be going on strike in pursuit of increased fares.

Transportation is so vital to economic development because it is the means by which workers, goods and services reach their destination and therefore serious attention has to be given to this sector.

Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue in his paper “Transport and Economic Development” puts it aptly: “The transport sector is an important component of the economy impacting on development and the welfare of populations. When transport systems are efficient, they provide economic and social opportunities and benefits that result in positive multipliers effects such as better accessibility to markets and additional investments. When transport systems are deficient in terms of capacity or reliability, they can have an economic cost such as reduced or missed opportunities. Transport also carries an important social and environmental load, which cannot be neglected. Thus, from a general standpoint the economic impacts of transportation can be direct and indirect:

* Direct impacts related to accessibility change where transport enables larger markets and enables to save time and costs.

* Indirect impacts related to the economic multiplier effect where the price of commodities or services drop and/or their variety increases.

The impacts of transportation are not always intended, and can have unforeseen consequences such as congestion. Mobility is one of the most fundamental and important characteristics of economic activity as it satisfies the basic need of going from one location to the other, a need shared by passengers, freight and information. All economies and regions do not share the same level of mobility as most are in a different stage in the transition. Economies that possess greater mobility are often those with better opportunities to develop than those suffering from scarce mobility. Reduced mobility impedes development while greater mobility is a catalyst for development. Mobility is thus a reliable indicator of development.”