MINIBUSES plying Route 44 on the East Coast Demerara are facing resentment from passengers who claim that they have been unscrupulous in overcharging.
Recently, the minibus operators have been demanding an increase of $80 more than the normal fare from passengers travelling the Melanie/Victoria route.
The regular fare is $120 from Georgetown to Melanie/Victoria but if a passenger does not want to pay $200, they refuse to allow you to enter the minibuses.
Commuters on this route say that it is very difficult to get a bus to go home after work so passengers would line-up along Camp Street, as far as Eve Leary, while others would go by North Road, abandoning the bus park downtown and some even go to Public Road Kitty or Lamaha Street.
And noting this, the bus operators have decided to capitalise on the situation even though there are more buses on the roads now with the introduction of the ‘pit bull’ buses.
“They have taken it on themselves to hike the fare, ordering passengers to pay $200 per person and little choice do they have. They must fork out that money or they would be left standing by the roadside for a long time,” a despairing commuter said.
In the morning hours the minibuses would charge the regular fare but in the afternoon period as early as 15:00hrs they increase the fare much to the resentment of passengers.
Even school children are not exempted from this sudden hike in fares, posing a worrying situation which the authorities have not been able to address so far.
Meanwhile, these minibus operators who are overcharging still overload the vehicles to the discomfort and danger of passengers, who do not have a voice because if they speak up they are put out of the buses.
A call to the Police Traffic Department said that passengers should report the matter to any police station, providing the minibus license number and they will deal with the matter.
The leaders of the relevant minibus bodies could not be reached for a comment on this issue, yesterday.
(By Michel Outridge)