Several mini-bus operators took their buses to the Square of the Revolution this morning as part of a protest against the Guyana Police Force and its crackdown on those buses with colourful wraps around them.
The Police Traffic Department has revoked the road license for a number of the buses, warning the drivers that the license will remain on hold until they follow regulations in keeping with the colour of their buses.
The Police Force has explained, through the acting Traffic Chief, that the issue is not with the colour or design of the buses but it is that the designs were not painted on to the buses but were instead wrap and many of the drivers have a different colour on their road and registration license.
But at the Square of the Revolution today, the protesting drivers said even when their buses have the fancy designs sprayed on, they are being harassed by the Police.
One man said most of the buses would have been granted their fitness license by the same Police Force and that would have included inspection with no complaints.
“Right now I owe me dealer for three months, who giving me the money now for that”, one driver said as he complained about the “sudden move” by the Police.
He explained that many of the drivers would have spent more than $250,000 to get the special design wraps on their buses and it would be unfair now to ask them to remove the colourful wraps.
The drivers insist that they are not breaking any known laws or regulations, although many of them were shy to say whether their insurance and vehicle licenses carried all of the colours that are being added to their rides with the wraps.
They are hoping to meet with Government officials on the issue, since they believe their buses in all of their colourful wraps, offer something unique to Guyana’s tourism product.
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