— union President says

PRESIDENT of the United Minibus Union, Eon Andrews, has called for a complete restructuring of Guyana’s minibus culture given the negative impact it is having on the hospitality sector.
Andrews who appeared recently on NCN’s Road Safety and You programme, said he believes that there must be an overall change in the way minibus operators provide their services.
Over the years persons have taken to social media to express their views on the local minibus culture, and in many cases berated the behaviour of minibus drivers, conductors and touts.
Andrews highlighted that in addition to the behaviour of the minibus operators, uniformity is another hindrance to the local hospitality sector.
Andrews used the opportunity to again call on minibus operators to get uniformed.
In 2019, the minibus union had made a decision to have minibus drivers sport colour-coded jerseys that would identify their destination route.
Andrews disclosed during the programme that this was shortlived, as many minibus drivers did not want to participate in the initiative.
Further, he noted that he believes that there needs to be greater collaboration between minibus operators and the Ministry of Tourism. He said the ministry has initiated several consistent sessions with minibus operators that he believes are beneficial in ensuring that the minibus culture is changed.

“They are using smaller numbers of persons but they are consistent in that training …And we [the union] are working along with them and we are using the opportunities we have to convince these minibus persons as to their apparel, their appearance and their general conduct,” said Andrews.
Andrews highlighted that the pandemic is real, and that minibus operators ought to be more considerate of their passengers, as their safety during the health crisis must come first.
He said that while some are adhering to the guidelines, there are still a few operators who work without wearing face masks.
He said that it is this “dog-eat-dog hustle mentality” that keeps some operators from following the necessary protocols.
“There are very good drivers out there and operators…and there are others breaking what is supposed to be done. And then those ones breaking the rules are now forcing the one that are following the rules to lose money.

It’s about money. Greed and indiscipline are what fuels [sic] that industry,” Andrews stated.
In April, Deputy Commissioner (ag) Operations, Clifton Hicken, and Traffic Chief, Superintendent Ramesh Ashram met with Andrews, minibus and taxi operators and other stakeholders, in an effort to ensure greater safety on the roadways. Commissioner Hicken urged the operators to continue to adhere to the COVID-19 guidelines, and to ensure that all passengers wear masks or face the courts. Operators and conductors were also reminded that “hot-plating” and the soliciting of passengers are unlawful, and that these actions are contributing to congestion and malpractices at the minibus and hire car parks. The deputy commissioner also called on operators and conductors to be more respectful and polite to police ranks, as confrontation with the police will not be tolerated or condoned. He said too that a recourse is available for operators to make use of the Guyana Police Force’s open-door policy, or make contact with senior officers whose contact numbers are in the public domain.
The Guyana Police Force is working to strengthen partnerships with all stakeholders to ensure adherence with responsible behaviour and the responsible use of the country’s roadways.