| Passengers dependent on the route 44 minibus service, especially the Enmore and Victoria commuters, continue to brace themselves for another day of hardship as bus operators have vowed to maintain their strike action to press for a $20 increase in fares.+The operators parked their vehicles for a second day, yesterday, almost crippling the transportation system along the East Coast of Demerara, as many passengers were left stranded.One of the major grouses of the striking operators is the fact that despite the rising cost of fuel over the years, their fare structure has remained static for the past eight years.Recently gasoline prices have soared to close to $950 per gallon,Cheap Jerseys Online, and when added to the increasing cost of spares and the cost of living as a whole, the bus operators are convinced that their demand is a justifiable one.Presently,Wholesale China Jerseys, the fare to the area affected is $120, when compared to $100 to areas like Beterverwagting and Mon Repos.According to the operators, since their present fare structure was established in 2003, the price for one tyre was $2800, now it is $4500; the fine for one overload was $150, now $1,Jerseys Cheap NFL,000; engine oil was $760 per quart, now it is $1,Cheap Hockey Jerseys,300.“We used to fill our tanks with $10,000 and now we’re paying $13,000. Now compare that with what we’re asking for and see if it is not fair. At the end of the day, the money is coming out of our pockets,” one operator told this newspaper.The government had recently announced a reduction of the consumption tax on diesel, but the same was not done for gasoline.While the demand will adversely affect commuters,Wholesale Cheap Jerseys, some passengers who solely depend on the service are hoping that a solution could be reached in favour of the minibus operators, since “if they continue the strike is we who will suffer.”The operators said that since their demand is not unreasonable, they will maintain their action until it becomes official.The last time minibuses decided to take strike action,Wholesale Jerseys, Public Works Minister Robeson Benn hired a fleet of 32-seaters to take passengers home for free.“Let’s see how much free buses the government will provide this time,” one route 44 operator said. |
