Hon. Benn mulls over bringing back public buses

5th August, 2013

KINGSTON, Georgetown – Several big buses are being contemplated in a pilot programme to determine how feasible it would be in easing the woes of Guyanese who depend on public transportation.

Hon. Robeson Benn, Minister of Public Works, made this announcement during a visit to Region 3 (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara) with his colleague Hon. Ganga Persaud, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development.

“We are bringing in some big buses to test the system…I have been looking at the traffic situation and the many problems of persons stranded on roadways en route to work and during the evenings on their way home,” he told residents.

According to him, several options are being looked at by the relevant agencies, adding that Government “cannot just bring back the system and implement it without conducting the appropriate studies and surveys”.

Reintroducing that mode of transport, Hon. Benn pointed out, will also be an avenue whereby Government can cushion the costs to commuters using privately operated vehicles.

In 2011, the Government had introduced a temporary service, where big buses were put on the roads to convey passengers after private operators withdrew theirs, in protest of the Government’s non-support of a hike in minibus fares.