-following strike action by route 41 & 46 buses
Following strike action yesterday by minibus operators plying the Numbers 41 and 46 routes, (Lodge and Ruimveldt), government came to the rescue of stranded commuters by hiring six buses to transport them to their destination free of cost.
Prior to this move, Minister of Transport and Hydraulics Robeson Benn met with the members of the United Minibus Union in an effort to resolve issues that led to strike action.
Minister Benn told  members of the union: “We don’t want the commuters to be stranded, we want you to go back and work; however, if you don’t go back, we will take steps to ensure that people reach their destinations.”
As a result of this decision, arrangements were made to have buses transport persons who were left stranded at the park after 18:00hrs.
The union, in a letter to the minister, stated that the recent placement of a police outpost and the blocking of a portion of the Stabroek park, which accommodated the route 41 and 46 buses, have hindered the loading and off-loading of passengers.
In response, Minister Benn said that the outpost will, under no circumstances be removed as there will be no compromise to public safety. However, its location would be adjusted.
The ministry is currently in the process of doing some preparatory groundwork  before the outpost could be shifted. This, Minister Benn said, would be done today.
Another issue that was highlighted by the union was that of the removal of the existing sanitary facility.
The minister explained that the facility was a risk to public health as the presence of raw sewage in both the male and female blocks made it very unsanitary for public use. Alternatively, the ministry has placed portable sanitary facilities at the expense of the government. He added that by today, these facilities will be screened for privacy.
Ultimately, the ministry will be moving to establish a state-of-art sanitary facility for public use.
Members of the union said that they welcome the police outpost in the area and were happy with the minister’s prompt response in addressing their concerns. They will be meeting with bus operators today at which time the service is expected to resume as normal.