MINIBUS operators plying the 41, 45 and 46 routes are seeing the new parking arrangement as a mixed blessing, following the decision of the ‘A’ Division Traffic Department and the Ministry of Public Works to regularise parking on the Stabroek Market tarmac.

Yesterday, a day after the police placed new markings, barricades and concrete columns to regulate how buses are to be positioned, many drivers expressed appreciation while some others questioned the logic behind the new arrangement.

The arrangement was widely supported by the operators plying the South, Lodge and Lamaha and Georgetown Public Hospital routes. However, those plying the Guyhoc route are calling for a special lane to be designated for them since they, like the buses travelling to South, both share the 41 number and there is some amount of confusion there.
The operators told the Chronicle yesterday that they have encountered problems with persons who are travelling to South coming into their buses and when they are ready to turn off to Guyhoc, they are then told by the passengers that they wish to go to South.
The Guyhoc operators are suggesting that rather than marking three lanes for use by the 41 buses, there should be two marked for 41 buses and the third marked Guyhoc so as to eliminate the confusion in that regard.
Some of the route 45 operators are, however, calling for there to be a turn system when it comes to loading passengers or a numbering system. They are claiming that when the arrangement was put in place on Tuesday, the intention was for there to be two exit lanes into Water Street from the parking area.
When this publication visited the location yesterday morning there were four buses loading, all at the exit point of the route 45 parking area which is not in keeping with the objective and guidelines set out by the police when the new order of parking was instituted on Tuesday.
One operator claimed that the police and the ministry operators have confused a once good parking arrangement to institute one that is causing even more confusion.

FREE LANE
The operators of the route 41 minibuses are requesting that there be a free lane in the park so that vehicles which are remaining in the park can just enter, offload passengers and leave the area.

COMMENDABLE
However, the majority of the route 41 minibus operators have indicated to this newspaper that the new system is commendable and the police in ‘A’ Division must be complimented for their vision. One driver said he has long been advocating for a system like the one implemented on Tuesday since he viewed it as an effective one.
On Tuesday ‘A’ Division Traffic Officer Superintendent, Calvin Brutus told the Chronicle that the Traffic Department was working to bring some amount of order to the area. “We need to bring some amount of sanity to this place,” he said.
Written By Leroy Smith