TUSCHEN, East Bank Essequibo hire-car drivers said their livelihood is being threatened with the bullying behaviour by private-hire car drivers, but the police are saying that they cannot do anything about the matter.This publication visited Tuschen and spoke with some of the affected hire-car drivers, who work up to midnight transporting residents via a turn system regularised under the International Federation of Unions, headed by Eon Andrews.

The men said that they have an organised system and a parking area but the private-hire drivers park anywhere, do whatever they want and are taking away their business.
The group explained that some of the very private-hire car drivers are transporting bandits in and out of the community and they have made reports to the police, but nothing is being done to address the matter.

One driver told this publication that some passengers prefer to travel with the unruly private-car drivers, because they park anywhere and that in itself is putting “pressure” on them.

Meanwhile, they are requesting that Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan have an interaction with them.

Naitram Mahadeo said the hire-car drivers are being harassed unnecessarily on a daily basis by the police, while they turn a blind eye to the lawless behaviour of the private-hire drivers.

Kadar Nandlall said there are about 35 to 40 hire-car drivers and they have been operating for more than 13 years; that is the only source of income for most of them,Nandlall added.

Further, he said that on the other hand, there are about 20 private-hire drivers, some of whom reside in that community while others are from neighbouring villages.

Acting Traffic Chief Dion Moore said that private-hire car drivers ought not to operate their vehicles as taxis, since their vehicles are registered for private use only and not to transport passengers.It is therefore a clear breach of the law in many ways.

By Michel Outridge