Benn assures no elections gimmick…

Gov’t provides free public transportation
– EBD, WBD, WCD, ECD commuters to benefit

FOLLOWING threats by some minibus operators to withdraw their service in order to press demands for fare increases, the Government has responded promptly by rolling out big buses to provide free transportation for commuters.

One of the ‘free ride’ buses at the park yesterday

The buses which are contracted from the Knight Rider Bus Service and complemented by buses owned by the Public Works Ministry will serve the following areas during morning and afternoon peak hours: East Bank Demerara, East Coast Demerara, West Coast Demerara and West Bank Demerara.

Speaking with reporters yesterday at the Stabroek Bus Park, Transport Minister, Robeson Benn said that the buses will continue to provide the service as long as necessary. He indicated that the Government is prepared to keep the system in place all the way to December if the operators fail to come to the bargaining table.

The minister said that the operators have been forcing commuters to pay higher fares and in some cases double fares. In that light, the Government is responding by forcing operators to come to bargaining table, instead of unilaterally increasing their fares.

Minister Robeson Benn with a minibus driver yesterday

“We at the ministry have become increasingly concerned about the state of public transportation resulting out of threats for the withdrawal of services, forcing people to pay higher fares, double fares in some cases, and forcing people to pay full stage fares if they are dropping short of the original route of the buses,” Benn stated.

Minister Benn said that the Government had to respond by putting the big buses into service at no cost to commuters in order to alleviate the situation and bring the minibus operators to a position where they will consult with the Ministries of Transport and Trade with respect to any increase in fares.

Benn added that there will be no encouragement of a situation where commuters are forced to suffer arbitrary fare increases by some groups of operators.
The service initiated by the Government in the past following similar action by operators saw them leaving passengers stranded when the buses provided by Government were not plying the route outside peak hours.
The minister said yesterday that the arrangement the ministry has in place now will last as long as it has to and while the service was rolled out over the weekend with an initial four buses with last evening an additional six buses joining, the ministry is prepared to have a total of twenty buses plying the above listed routes which are the ones most affected by the price gouging by some operators.

The public transportation system has to be regulated, the minister stated, adding that if the present arrangement has to be adopted to make it possible it will be done. The buses plying the routes are 30 and 44-seat capacity buses.

The buses will be on the bus parks and leave when they are filled. Commuters will not be dropped off to their doors but the usual drop off points as the minibuses. Where there are instances that the buses are taking very long to be filled, they will be allowed to move off from the park and pick up persons along the way, Benn stated.

PRICE TAG
Asked about the financing of this initiative, the minister said there is no price tag attached to this just yet. He said that while there is a line item in the budget that provides for other services, the funds that were allocated under that heading will be used to facilitate this service to the travelling public.

He remarked that if the arrangement has to go on for a very long time then the ministry will be seeking additional funds to address the issue so that persons are not stranded at the bus parks or on the roadways.
Meanwhile when asked about the possibility of the move being seen as an elections gimmick, the Transport Minister firmly stated that he does not expect it to be seen in that manner since everyone knows the plight of the travelling public at mornings and nights.

He said that the problem of not being able to travel to and from home is an immediate one for citizens and the Government has responded to this need.
And speaking with reporters, director of the Night Rider Bus Service, Salim Twahir related that the arrangement is not one that has a cash transaction. He told reporters that the ministry as part of the agreement would meet the operational costs for the buses which include fuel and paying drivers.

He said that his company is just trying to assist the process of getting persons off the roads, especially school children who are often left very late at the bus parks because operators refuse to take them home for the normal fares.

He said that the buses would take approximately $25,000 in fuel if supplied at Guyoil stations and this can cover four return trips, plying the routes earmarked.

(By Leroy Smith)