– as gov’t moves to rein in renegade minibus operators

WITH the coming on stream shortly of a Code of Conduct for minibus operators countrywide, consumers now have the right to report non-compliance with the rules to the relevant authorities.

This timely reminder comes from President of the United Minibus Union (UMU) Eon Andrews, who told the Guyana Chronicle on Friday:
“It’s within the Code of Conduct that anyone who claims they have been adversely affected in relation to customer service, they can record the vehicle’s registration number, the route number and the incident and submit the information to either the union or other relevant authorities.

“If it’s a consumer’s affairs-related matter, you can go there; or if it’s a police matter, you know where to go.”

The disclosure comes in the wake of a recent meeting between the UMU and the Ministry of Business to discuss aspects of the proposed code now at the draft stage.
At the meeting, the Director of the Consumer Affairs Department reportedly highlighted the plight of long-suffering consumers who have over the years been made to endure such impositions as overcharging, overloading, and touting.

Andrews said that while the Consumers Affairs Department has been in existence for some time now, he believes that with the Code of Conduct, its authority can be reinforced.
“I suppose that in the document that they will be giving out for publication when we’ve endorsed everything, they may well have the number for the Consumer Affairs Department that they can call,” Andrews said.

With regard as to how soon consumers’ concerns will be dealt with, and the guidelines governing complaints, Andrews said that these details are still being worked out, and will be a consensus between the UMU and the government.
As to whether he feels the operators will come to accept the code of conduct, Andrews said:
“I would be disappointed if there was no resistance to change; there are times when people resist change just for the sake of resisting change, because they don’t know what is out there, or if that change is going to affect them in any way.

“Sometimes even if it’s for the better, they rather something not happen because they have grown accustomed to the indiscipline and greed, among other things.”
“But it’s not whether you’re comfortable or not; it’s that laws are there, and one needs to create a scenario where people can exist at a certain level of ease.”

“Excellent” and “exemplary” are the words Andrews used to describe the current relations between the UMU and the government in finalising the Code of Conduct.
“What we are very glad about and respect is that the government, the Ministry of Business, has chosen to have dialogue and they don’t sit there and push things down your throat,” Andrews said.

“They discuss; they try to find out the culture. They know that there are many areas that need to be changed or upgraded and we’ll get to them,” he added.
He said that the next meeting, when the final structure of the code will hopefully be decided, is set to take place in the latter part of November.