GIVEN the high frequency of accidents and hazardous behaviour exhibited by mini-bus operators on the roadways, the public is calling upon the traffic chief and relevant authorities to implement more stringent measures that would ensure accountability for drivers who violate traffic laws.

In discussions with several members of the public regarding their daily utilisation of public transportation, a significant portion of respondents shared their concerns, difficulties, and discontentment specifically related to most mini-bus operators during their work commutes or business-related travels throughout the country.

Photographer Yohan Japheth has revealed that despite his previous frequent use of public transportation, a devastating accident caused him to develop a fear of boarding mini-buses.

“I remembered my days of travelling in these minibuses. I was still in school, and these two buses were racing—the one that I was in and another. They clipped each other, and it went spinning; thankfully, no one was hurt, but it left me scarred, and I had to still attend school even though I was shaken. A month later, my teacher was in a 48 bus that was in a horrific accident, again because of speed, and that left her face disfigured. That was the last straw for me; I couldn’t do it anymore, and that was the last time I took a mini-bus. Most of these operators are ruthless and inconsiderate,” remarked Japheth

Japheth further added: “I have opted to ride a motorcycle now for work, and even though I am not in the bus, just being on the roads alongside them gives you an uneasy feeling. Sometimes I wonder if the mirrors on these buses are working; they will stop anywhere; it doesn’t matter who is in front of them or behind them, or if the light is green or red. It is as though they own the roads, and we are just in their way.”

Additionally, Japheth said that he observed that most of the drivers are extremely young, and instead of having high values for themselves and others, they are all about the ‘hype.’

He also noted: “These buses are overloaded, exceeding 15 passengers, and you would think that that scares people, especially the schoolchildren, but it doesn’t. If anything, they seem to enjoy it without seeing the dangers of what can happen.”

Japheth is calling on members of the public to take a stand against these drivers by striking them and forcing them to do what is right.

According to him, “I believe that the people should strike to send a direct message to the recklessness of these minibus operators. When we do this, we are sending a strong message of striking for safety, for the respect of road rules, for people to travel in a more comfortable and safe manner, and we would be striking for them to adhere to the things that will not endanger their lives or the lives of others.”

Meanwhile, Communications Officer of ANSA McAL Denita Prowell said: “Even though I dread taking public transportation to work, sometimes I don’t have a choice. In all fairness, it’s not all of them who behave recklessly on the roads, but most of them do. Firstly, asking them to turn the music down is an issue; they are highly annoyed, and they act as though they can’t hear you. Some of them even verbally abuse you when you voice your concern, and I had asked to be put off already, just because I couldn’t tolerate the nonsense.”

Ms. Prowell continued, “Everyday people are seeing and experiencing disrespect from many of these operators, and it is easy for someone to say get out of the bus and join another, but we need to also understand that not everyone can do that. Some people have bosses who may not understand why they are late, and some people may have places to be at a particular time that they may not be able to be late to. So, sometimes we just don’t have a choice but to use the buses and hope for the best.”

The communication officer further added that most of the fatal accidents that involve minibuses are directly caused by their speeding and mishandling of the vehicles, and she is calling on the relevant authorities to conduct some sort of training with the minibus operators so that their road knowledge can be enhanced and their behaviours towards their passengers can be improved.

“I am hoping that the authorities in charge can set up training sessions for these operators so that they can respect the road laws and for them to respect the members of the public, especially the ones that travel with them,” she explained.

Many citizens who were interviewed demanded stricter penalties for minibus operators who continue to disobey traffic laws, expressing their concerns about safety on the roadways.

In their end-of-year report for 2023, the Guyana Police Force Traffic Department noted that the total figures of accidents and deaths in the year 2022 were 2,464 compared to 2,264 in 2023, a decrease of -9 percent from last year.