Mustapha assures…
CHAIRMAN of Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne), Mr. Zulficar Mustapha has announced that consultations will continue on the controversy over the new mini-bus route.
He said, however, that, if there are any changes, they must be made by Parliament.
“We are not here to declare war. If you have a problem, there are ways to find a solution,” he a joint media briefing at which Chairman of Region Five (Mahaica/Berbice), Mr. Harrinarine Baldeo  and Berbice Traffic Chief Kevin Adonis were present in New Amsterdam.
The event, in the Region Six boardroom, was arranged following a protest action by the Route 50 (Georgetown to Rosignol) mini-bus owners and operators, who raised concerns over being unable to convey commuters  across the Berbice River Bridge, due to  the August 31 introduction of Route 56.
On Monday, the drivers converged along Bath Public Road and proceeded  to Belladrum and Profitt, in the vicinity of Abary Bridge, all on West Coast Berbice.
During the exercise,  schoolchildren, teachers, health care providers and other workers were left stranded and forced to return to their respective homes.
Some drivers, who did not join the protest, had their passengers ejected from their vehicles and others saw their tyres punctured.
The media was informed that at 06:30 h yesterday  morning,  tree trunks were placed across the main thoroughfare at Abary Bridge, preventing commuters from traversing freely along the Mahaica/ West Coast Berbice route. But, due to the quick Police intervention, the blockage was removed.
Mustapha, who chaired the mid-morning media event, said it was to clarify misconceptions and misinformation by the vehicle owners, who had, initially,  agreed to the new arrangement, following a survey and several consultations attended by the Ministers of Home Affairs and Public Works, Mr. Clement Rohee and Mr. Robeson Benn, respectively.
Although he showed no records to verify when those sessions were held or who attended,  Mustapha said minutes were, indeed, taken and will be made public shortly.
Baldeo said he was not in receipt of any complaint by the mini-bus operators since the new route was established but said, before then, route 50 buses were allowed to traverse the Berbice River Bridge with passengers,  using a line-up system of first come, first go.
But now, everybody is in a hurry and the situation has become chaotic, he lamented.
“It is unfair for the paying, travelling public to be treated in this manner. Schoolchildren had to walk for miles,” Baldeo reported, while urging bus owners to think twice about their action which is creating serious problems.
“Discuss the problems and find solutions,” he suggested.
Adonis said no report was received about disorderly conduct on the establishment of the new zone on August 30.
He said, although the protesting group has an association, the executive members, apparently, cannot control the errant drivers who claim that the commuters are no longer travelling with them.
“They claim that the passengers do not want to travel to Rosignol  and then join another bus to either New Amsterdam or Corentyne,” Adonis said.
According to the Road Service Licence governing the route 50 (Rosignol /Georgetown) operators, their journey concludes at Rosignol Ferry Stelling while the Route 63 (New Amsterdam/ Corentyne) was amended to end at New Amsterdam Ferry Stelling, as a result of the introduction of the new route 56, which will traverse between the New Amsterdam and Rosignol ferry stellings.