By Alva Solomon

STUDENTS of the University of Guyana (UG) Turkeyen Campus who travel by bus may experience transportation difficulties at nights on campus, as minibus drivers have threatened to continue strike action aimed at removal of the chief of their bus association.Some 20 minibus operators protested in front of the UG Turkeyen Campus gate on Friday, calling for removal of their bus association chairman, citing his inability to represent them.

The bus drivers’ concern stems from the removal of several “stickers” which are usually placed on their buses and which enable them to operate at UG.

Vijay Persaud, secretary of the UG Bus Association, told this newspaper that the chairman of the association has been making decisions on his own, without the association’s involvement. These include a breach of a contractual arrangement which was made with UG in which the operators have been paying $3000 in fees to operate monthly there.

Persaud said the contract indicates that the fee is in fact $2500, which he noted was unknown to the minibus operators.

He said the President of the United Minibus Union, Eon Andrews, had taken action to remove the stickers from three bus operators last month, and Persaud said Andrews acted on advice made by the bus association.

He said a number of operators are listed to have their stickers removed, and this will greatly affect the UG student population.
The operators have met with UG Registrar Dr Nigel Gravesande on Friday, and he promised to assist the operators in communicating their concerns to Andrews.

Efforts to contact Andrews were futile, as his mobile number was turned off.

The bus operators plan to continue their strike action if the situation is not resolved satisfactorily.