COMMUTERS on the West Bank Demerara suffered transportation woes yesterday after public transport operators took massive strike action.

Drivers on Route 31, West Bank to Georgetown, as well as hire cars on the Patentia to Vreed-en-Hoop route are demanding a $20 increase in fares. The fare from Patentia to Georgetown is currently $140, while the fare from Patentia to Vreed-en-Hoop stands at $120.This is the third route where drivers are demanding an increase in fares, Route 32 being the first reported in December and Route 44 following with a fare hike earlier this month.

Yesterday many, including school children, using Route 31 were left stranded as the buses and cars remained parked at the bus tarmac in Patentia.
In the meantime, many of the affected commuters were forced to return home.
One commuter, a school teacher at a Georgetown school, said, “We were out there not getting any transportation and have to go home back, we can’t go to work. They (transport operators) said that they are striking because they need an increase in fare, which may be justifiable or not, but in the future if they need to do something like this then they need to give people adequate notice.”

NOT WAITING ON GOV’T
The drivers contend that the costs for gasoline and vehicle maintenance justify their demands for the increase.
One driver, speaking to the Guyana Chronicle, said, “If we are to be real is only the Government gas station (GuyOil) that sells gas for under $1,000. “If you don’t intend to go ‘til to Providence to buy it, you don’t pay that. We operate on the West Bank. There is no GuyOil on the West Bank.”
Another driver explained that some 75 per cent of the drivers on Route 31 are in support of the strike action, maintaining that it is not economically viable for drivers to continue to offer services at the current price.
He said, “We are not waiting on the government to tell us whether we can or cannot, we are implementing the $20 more. School children, we will be taking half price once they’re under the age of 12.
“If the government is going to force us to work at the old price then the government has got to implement something to compensate us.”
The driver noted that some passengers have complied with the increase, but insist that it is something the government has to pronounce on.
Several of the drives who spoke to the Guyana Chronicle maintained that the strike action will continue if the majority of the commuters refuse to pay.

NO WORD
Attempts by the Guyana Chronicle to contact the Head of Consumer Affairs Muriel Tinnis, up to press time, proved futile.
And acting Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Irfaan Ali continues to remain quiet on what firmer actions are being taken to curb the worrying trend.
Following the increases on Route 32, the last word from Ali on the matter was that an advisory was issued by the ministry, which urged persons to report the unsanctioned increases to either the police or the Tourism Ministry.
He stated that police officers will be asked to act to enforce the current and approved fare structure and prevent unfair demands by the transport operators.

FARE ADVISORY NOT ENOUGH
However, even as Minister Ali dubs the increases both “unsanctioned and are unjustified,” members of the public maintain that an advisory is not enough to rectify the situation.
This newspaper understands that while the advisory was issued and some complaints made, not much was done to address the situation by the ministry, much to the chagrin of commuters.
Among commuters are school children, who already face difficulties with the public transport system and now have the added burden of increased fares.
Last Saturday, when asked by this newspaper if a meeting will be held with the United Minibus Association and the Combined Road Transportation Association for Route 32 to address the situation, Minister Ali’s response was non-committal.
Ali in December told the Guyana Chronicle that there is no way the Route 32 drivers can unilaterally decide to increase fares, adding that there have been no consultations with the association on the matter.
He made it clear that the ministry has a standing agreement with the Mini-bus Association, which clearly states that in the absence of increases in gas prices, there cannot be an increase in fares.
Unilateral fare hikes by mini-bus operators has been an issue of concern in the last three years, with some incidents resulting in strike actions that left hundreds of commuters stranded.
Written BY Vanessa Narine and Tamica Garnet