Yes to alternative public transport

TIMES INT'L

Dear Editor,

Please give me space in your letters column to voice my concern on the mini-bus situation. First of all, I must congratulate you for your editorial on the mini-bus issue which appeared in the Guyana Times newspaper on Friday, March 25th 2011. I believe it was well thought out and nothing was left unsaid that would further establish your case for: “Time to explore alternative for public transport.”

In dealing with the issue, you demonstrated a lot of courage, which is exactly the type our law-makers need to employ when dealing with sensitive issues like public transportation. I am an East Coast-bound commuter who depend on the mini-bus to get to my place of employment in Georgetown and back home after a hard day’s work.

Editor, you could imagine the frustration that swept over me recently when, after my day’s work I found out that the mini-bus operators had withdrawn their service to the public. I think it was callous, uncaring and irresponsible on the operators’ part to have embarked on such uncivilized action without even notifying commuters of their intention. Had I known before hand, I would have never travelled to Georgetown that day when the bus operators took strike action. I know I might be a little hard on these guys who operate a very important service, but please, sir, allow me to give vent to my feeling.

I could remember once upon a time, they used to have some big yellow buses parked outside the Stabroek Market, which catered for the needs of john public to travel in and around Georgetown. Although this bus service was privately-run, its operations were carried out in a timely and structured manner, and never have I ever heard of the drivers withdrawing their services.

In the countryside were the Tata buses which catered for the needs of the people travelling to Georgetown. These services were all working on schedule and the population at large was finding hardly any difficulty for moving from one point to the other.

Although your editorial did not actually call for the reintroduction of the big buses, I think it is time the government, through its various agencies should look into the possibility of returning to the days of the big buses. Only by doing so, would the present crop of mini-bus operators exercise a sense of responsibility—something john public has been looking for all along.

Cooperatively,

Andy Thompson

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