SURINAME-based Guyanese Savitri Shivdass was injured in an accident while travelling on a bus from Campbellville to Suriname on August 24 last, and is incensed that, to date, she has not been contacted by neither the bus driver nor the police in relation to the accident.The 65 year old regularly travels to Guyana to be with her husband Randolph Beaton at their home at 38 Seaforth Street, Campbellville. On the morning of the accident, she was returning to Suriname after spending some time in Guyana and the arrangement was that a bus from ‘Champ Bus and Taxi Service’ would pick her up at about 05:30 hrs to take her to Moleson Creek, Corentyne, from where she would join the ferry and be picked up by another ‘Champ’ bus on arrival in Nickerie. This second bus was expected to take her from Nickerie to Paramaribo.

She had given all her contact information to the driver known as ‘Champ’: Her name, address and phone number, and that was how he was able to phone her early that morning and inform her that he was on his way to pick her up. Similarly, he was in a position to contact her/her husband in the event of an emergency and similarly do any related follow-up.

Savitri recalls that throughout the journey, the driver was on his cell- phone calling passengers who had booked to travel ahead of his picking them up. The woman claimed that he was driving at a fast rate (literally speeding), but the approximately nine or 10 passengers fearfully endured the ride without a word of objection.

Whilst travelling along the East Coast thoroughfare, the driver got a call to pick up a passenger at Mahaica. He was heading for that pick- up around 06:30 hrs when, in the vicinity of Enmore, the speeding bus became uncontrollable and suddenly careened and tumbled towards the trench.

There was no other vehicle in its path, Shivdass recalled, and it was not a case of him trying to take evasive action.

Hysteria reigned supreme for the next few moments as passengers, badly hurt and some bleeding, tried to exit the vehicle. They were pulled to safety by some men on the opposite side of the road, who took photographs of the bus in distress.

The injured passengers were taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital by another bus; and alerted, the police visited the scene of the accident and commenced investigations.

Shivdass said she suffered a hard blow to her head and also injured her back and shoulder, but was treated at the GPH and sent home.
However, over time, the pains have intensified and she is unable to use her hand properly. The injuries, she said, are causing her considerable inconvenience, since, being a housewife and temporarily incapacitated, she is unable to perform the duties which devolve on her, and has to find other means of having her duties performed.

Ms. Shivdatt is appalled to know that even though the bus company has agents in Suriname, where she lives, and Guyana, where her husband resides, no one has so far made contact with either of them.
She is seeking the help of the police to have this accident thoroughly investigated and justice done to the affected passengers.

By Shirley Thomas