CONCERNED members of the public are waiting with diminishing pockets for more affirmative action by the Ministry of Tourism to address the arbitrary increases of minibus fares that commuters on Route 32, and more recently, Route 44 have to contend with.

The increases, up by as much as $60, are taking a toll not only on the thousands travelling far distances for work every day, but on schoolchildren, who face the brunt of the problem, because public transport operators are unwilling to ferry the children to and from school.
After a month of what the Acting Tourism Minister, Irfaan Ali, called “unjustified” increases, the consensus from the general public is that the advisory issued by his ministry ‘has no teeth’.
Ali has said that police officers will be asked to act to enforce the current and approved fare structure and prevent unfair demands by the transport operators.
However, the reality is that police officers accept bribes from minibus operators who want to avoid legal or any other disciplinary action.
Moreover, there has been no reported move by the Tourism Ministry to meet with the United Minibus Association and the Combined Road Transportation Association for Route 32, with which the ministry says it has a standing agreement – an agreement that says in absence of increases in gas prices there cannot be an increase in fares.
An average worker travelling along Route 44 to get to Georgetown for work in many cases has to take at least two different minibuses to get to work.
On Route 32, to get to Georgetown, a commuter either takes the Demerara Harbour Bridge, where the cost has almost doubled or takes a bus to the Vreed-en-Hoop Stelling to get a boat and then use another bus once in the capital.
Considering that there has been minimal change to salaries, where is the additional income to cover this expense coming from?
The reality for your average Guyanese man, woman and child is a daily struggle, is hard work and with many Guyanese barely in the middle income bracket, unnecessary challenges that can be avoided, should be avoided.
Transport Minister, Robeson Benn, in addition to Minister Ali, need to step up and act in a more tangible manner to address this situation.
Minister Benn, early in 2013, promised an investigation into the unregulated hike in minibus fares across the various routes at nights, whereby commuters are asked to pay double. The outcome of that investigation, if it was done, is still to be known.
In 2008, we experienced similar arbitrary actions country wide and, unfortunately, the price hikes were accompanied by threats of strike actions by operators.
Before the current situation escalates to an untenable level, the Guyanese people need firmer action, not toothless advisories and statements.