FOLLOWING a robbery that occurred five miles up the Ituni/Kwakwani trail from Linden, residents of Aroaima, Ituni and Kwakwani are again calling on the relevant authorities to make good on their promises to have the road repaired urgently. On Friday around 12:30 hrs, a minibus driver transporting goods from Linden to Aroaima, as well as two passengers in the bus, were beaten and robbed by three men armed with a gun and cutlasses.

Speaking to this publication on Monday, the driver, who wished to remain anonymous, said that he is of the firm belief that if the condition of the road was better, he could have escaped the perpetrators. He revealed that around five miles up, he noticed a car parked alongside the road but did not think anything amiss until the car drove in front of the bus, blocking the path. He then noticed that the number plate was blocked and tried to escape the ordeal, but because of the huge holes on the road, his attempt to drive away proved futile.

“It was three of us heading to Aroaima and I had goods in the bus and when I saw the number plate blocked I told them man that we have problems here now and I tried to drive away, but the car drive behind us like five minutes more and there was a tyre on the road, so I ran over the tyre and got stuck because I didn’t want to run over the car in front of us,” the driver related.

Three men then came out and ordered them out of the bus. “The one with the gun had a kerchief over his face and start lashing the man up, so his father said why you lashing up my son and he already gave the phone, and the man start lash up the father too. They ransack the whole bus, took out what they want. I was standing at the driver side and then one said let us see what the driver get and they come and took away my wallet and two phone,” he related.

Despite what occurred, the driver continues to ply the route to make a living. However, he is calling not only for the road to be repaired, but also for police patrols and lights to be installed, since the trail is very dark during the evenings. “I feel the police them should put something in place to run the area in the morning time when we coming and times when we going in back,” he suggested. Commander of ‘E’ Division, Anthony Vanderhyden said that the matter is being investigated.

Meanwhile, resident of Ituni, Keisha Griffith, on behalf of the residents, continues to make pleas to the Minister of Public Infrastructure and the Regional Chairman to have the road fixed.
Late last year, a mother delivered her baby on the Ituni trail and while the ambulance tried to transport the team to the Linden Hospital Complex, it broke down twice.
Bus drivers had also increased the fare to $2,500, citing the condition of the road which they say is causing them to lose most of their income in purchasing bus parts and frequent servicing.