-ease in traffic congestion anticipated

By Naomi Parris
THE Ministry of Public Works is currently spearheading works at the Routes 40 and 48 bus parks to reinstall lane controls to maintain order and ease traffic congestion in the Stabroek Market area. Elswyn Williams, lead contractor for the project, told this publication during a visit to the area on Sunday that the works being carried out will see a decrease in confusion and congestion at the bus parks. Williams explained that he and his workmen are reinstalling lane controls along the parks to maintain lines for the minibuses to offload and pick up passengers.
“Basically the work being carried out here is to assist and try to coordinate with the buse [operators] to try to keep them in line with a system that would work better for them. It’s just some renovation work on the system that was already in place,” he said.

According to Williams, the project which started on Sunday will be completed within the next two days and will cost approximately $250,000.
Meanwhile, Dexter Marks, a Route 48 minibus operator said when the renovation project is completed, he believes that the once-congested bus park will not be the same as traffic will be able to flow smoothly and other minibus operators like himself will have to maintain order.
“The minister them, they doing a good job because they putting up back the chain and the post so everything will be in order,” Marks said.
He added: “It gon benefit we because sometimes we does deh in the lines for hours and now the line gon move smoothly, plus the police isn’t going to get plenty work to do. Once we get the lines we gone get order.”

Another Route 48 minibus operator who gave his name as “John” is optimistic that the reinstallation of lane controls at the park will see an attitude change in minibus drivers and conductors.
“When you look at it, the works is to discipline the minibus drivers them and two, is to allow others to get a dollar…what I mean [is] buses will not come and bore, you know. Like come in Campbellville line and bore till up in Sophia line and when they bore now a whole lot of buses does deh in the line for hours and can’t get a load,” he explained.
Describing the project as a “good move,” the man said, “It’s very good when you look at it. You will see a formation of people coming together to do the right and not to do the wrong thing. So it’s a very good move.”

Further, a Route 40 minibus operator who prefers to remain anonymous told this publication that on any given day, many minibus operators who choose to follow the protocols and laws are often left waiting in lines for hours before they can pick up a “load.”
The man explained that the “hot plate” buses are known to bully their way in front of other minibus operators who would have been waiting in the line to load up.
While others believe that the project will see some minibus operators “falling in line,” this particular minibus driver is of the belief that nothing will change unless minibus operators themselves change their attitudes.