A FEW days ago, Guyanese officially welcomed Road Safety Month. It is with grave concern for our safety that I am forced to pen this letter. I am a daily user of the 45- Main & Lamaha minibus route. The commonly known “pitbull minibus” that traverses the roadways is an impending catastrophe to all citizens. The majority of these minibus drivers are reckless, have absolutely no regard for human life and motor vehicle laws. I have seen on many occasions that many do not adhere to traffic lights or the stipulated speed limit. Having used this bus route for over eight years, it is evident that most of the drivers were former young, minibus conductors who are simply ‘hussling’ on the road.
What is even more appalling is that our young people are waiting in droves in the mornings on the 45 minibus park by what is known as the “hot plate” for these buses to take them to school “fast.” I recognise schools such as Christ Church Secondary, Richard Ishmael Secondary, St John’s College and a number of unidentifiable private schools, but certainly these schools are within the 45 minibus route. I was reliably informed that these buses do not drop students off directly in front of their schools.
No doubt such lawlessness does not take place when a police officer is stationed there. When an officer is present, I have seen that the students temporarily migrate to the front of City Hall to await their “quick bus ride.” Students themselves are to be blamed for such chaos especially given the fact that sometimes it is well after 9 am and they are still waiting for their special ride to school. At one point, I saw four students in the front seat of the minibus (exclusive of the driver of course) while the students in the back were “packed up like sardine.” If you notice, it is common that these minibuses are tinted with two small windows on each side, so it is difficult to identify how much students are really in the bus. On one occasion, I made calls to several of the public schools to express my concern but unfortunately the teachers could do nothing without names or complete descriptions of the students.
I believe the school needs to be more vigilant in helping to weed out this common practice by their students. It is also my hope that the relevant police authorities step up their guard and devise a practical solution to such imminent danger.

TESHANNA COX