SOME250 Minibus Drivers and Conductors will, on Sunday March 15, 2020, at a simple ceremony at the Herdmanston Lodge, graduate from a training exercise, which was organised by the United Minibus Union in collaboration with the Ministry of Business.
The Training Exercise which commenced in July 2019 was held in an effort to stamp out the lawlessness and reduce the carnage on the country’s roadways.

In an interview with this publication, Director of Consumer Affairs, Muriel Tinnis, made the point that drivers and conductors were trained to facilitate their operating at a level that would contribute positively to Guyana’s Tourism Industry.

A Code of conduct for minibus operators in Guyana was ‘launched’ in April 2019 and it was recognized that training was an important element in the improved performance of operators. Thus, drivers from various walks of life were trained in the areas of Tyre Safety, Fire Safety, Insurance and Hospitality.

The general purpose of the code of conduct is to improve the quality, safety and efficiency of public transportation in Guyana, and to make the public transport system accessible to all commuters on a non-discriminatory basis.

The training was, and will be, conducted during the off-peak period for minibus operation and particularly during the school-vacation periods.

The Ministry is working with the Police to ensure the non-renewal of licences of drivers who did not obtain training certificates

President of the UMU, Eon Andrews, said that the Union will be initiating several programmes with a view to ensuring that public transportation in Guyana is brought up to international standard. He explained that, according to Guyana’s trajectory, the country can expect to be propelled in a new order of operations and thus the public transportation sector must be able to keep up.