THE Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA), responding to an article which was recently published in a section of the print media, denouncing the lawless playing of music in public transportation (minibuses), yesterday  reminded all of the relevant laws.

A press release said that the ministry has noted with alarm the article captioned ‘Banning loud, vulgar music will not go down without a fight-minibus operators’, as published in the Guyana Times dated Monday, 19th November 2012.
“It is especially disconcerting to read that loud, vulgar music is especially played on minibuses for the enjoyment of school girls, to the distress of other passengers” the release said.
It added that the article voices the opinion of a commentator that Parliament should consider the revision of minibus laws, while recommending “… the implementation of a new law designed to bequeath law enforcement officers with authority to remove all boom boxes, permanently.”
Indeed, on 7th August 2008,the National Assembly passed the Summary Jurisdiction (Offences) (Amendment) Act No. 15 of 2008 providing for the inclusion in the Summary Jurisdiction (Offences) Act, Cap 8:02, a new section 174B treating with prohibition of the playing of music in a motorbus or hire car.
The release noted that a driver of a motor bus [mini bus] or hire car shall not play or allow anyone to play any music in the motor bus [mini bus] or hire car while the motor bus [mini bus] or hire car is plying its route or parked in a public place.
The statement said that a driver of a motor bus [mini bus] or hire car who contravenes subsection (1) commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of not less than $7,500 nor more than $15,000 and to imprisonment for six months, and on a second or subsequent conviction, to a fine of not less than $10,000  nor more than $20,000 and to imprisonment for twelve months
It added that Section 174B is not limited to the playing of loud, continuous and repetitive music which disturbs occupants of a minibus or impairs the driver’s ability to use the road cautiously. Rather, the section clearly criminalises the playing of any music in a motor bus while plying its route or parked in a public place.
The MoHA said that therefore, there should not be present in any minibus any electronic equipment (including televisions, radios, tape-decks, compact disc (CD) players, digital video disc (DVD) players, amplifiers, equalisers, speakers) which would facilitate the playing of music. Minibus drivers who continue to defy the laws of Guyana and loudly proclaim that the banning of minibus music “will not go down without a fight” (even to the point of organising street protests) should take notice of section 174B and its consequences.
It stated that while the Guyana Police Force is responsible for the enforcement and implementation of section 174B, minibus passengers and other concerned citizens are encouraged to contact the Ministry of Home Affairs on hotline numbers 227-5214 or 227-5219 to provide any helpful information in respect of any minibus driver that continues to flagrantly flout section 174B.