NEW ROUTE 56 TO PLY ROSIGNOL-NEW AMSTERDAM ROUTE.
A new bus route will be established on the West Coast of Berbice. The bus route, 56 will be operating on the West Coast of Berbice and New Amsterdam. Previously, route 50 buses used the route to transport passengers from across the river to New Amsterdam and this was an inconvenience for passengers who had to stop off at the New Amsterdam Stelling as the buses were not allowed to stop anywhere else or make stops around town.
At a meeting on Saturday with drivers of the Berbice Minibus association, Minister of Transport and Hydraulics Robeson Benn and Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee said that the creation of the route along with a bus stop would assist passengers tremendously.
The Bus drivers at a meeting in June had approached President Jagdeo and aired their concerns.
The Bus drivers at a meeting in June had approached President Jagdeo and aired their concerns.
The Drivers wanted a park established at Rosignol or in New Amsterdam.
Since then a collaborative team consisting of officials from the Home Affairs Ministry and the Transport ministry conducted several surveys to ascertain the feasibility of the route and how commuters will benefit.
Since then a collaborative team consisting of officials from the Home Affairs Ministry and the Transport ministry conducted several surveys to ascertain the feasibility of the route and how commuters will benefit.
An engineering analysis was conducted to check the suitability of the location for the buses to operate while a Social survey was also conducted to see the response of the public to the proposal. According to the Home Affairs minister, the feedback received was positive. Residents related that a park would not only ensure safety but would also be convenient when moving around on short trips.
Minister Rohee pointed out that only a few buses will operate this route and would be able to drop off passengers around town. The new system will operate on a first come first serve basis on a queue system. Fares are not expected to change and Minister Rohee cautioned the drivers not to raise the fares.
Since the commissioning of the Berbice river bridge, confusion has been abounding with minibuses using the Georgetown to New Amsterdam Route. Drivers were not adhering to the
Traffic department’s instructions while some drivers were not using the established system by the Minibus Association. Passengers were forced to disembark buses at the entrance of the Berbice River Bridge at D’Edwards and other buses operating just across the Bridge to New Amsterdam were not allowed to stop although a few buses took a chance when no traffic official was around.
The Berbice Minibus Association had established an informal park on the Rosignol Public road but this was a slow system as passengers chose to stop at the Bridge entrance. In New Amsterdam passengers were forced to disembark at the New Amsterdam Stelling and this also was an inconvenience since most passengers had heavy luggage and could not go far with it.
The New System will however address all these issues and passengers are expected to be more comfortable while a semblance of order will be established. Meanwhile Transport Minister Robeson Benn advised the drivers to follow the rules. He noted that there were a lot of indisciplined drivers on the road and there was need for the bus association to work closely with the Government. The new route will be established following more consultations and the construction of the bus park.
No comments:
Post a Comment