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Route 4B Drivers Defend Fare Hike

By Kingsley Emmanuel
Image of Sheldon Leriche, secretary of the 4B Minibus Drivers Association

MINIBUS drivers of Route 4B have welcomed the bus fare adjustments given to them which, they say, were long overdue.

“We are satisfied with the adjustments,” Sheldon Leriche, secretary of the 4B Minibus Drivers Association, told this reporter.

Image of Sheldon Leriche, secretary of the 4B Minibus Drivers Association
Sheldon Leriche, secretary of the 4B Minibus Drivers Association

In 2008, the drivers, who include drivers from Vieux Fort North, did not benefit from the increase in bus fares which were granted to all other routes on the island. The Ministry of Transport claimed it was a mistake on its part.

This vexing issue had resulted in the drivers taking protest action earlier this year, which had annoyed commuters.

Leriche said most people see the adjustments in their bus fares by the Ministry of Transport as an increase in bus fares for route 4B, but what they got was simply an adjustment to their bus fares which was due to them nine years ago.

“It was not an increase,” he stressed. “Actually, what we got was a decrease, because the Ministry had made some mistakes in the names of some communities and their locations, which it has corrected.”

Leriche said minibus drivers would often work between 12 and 14 hours a day, making a mere $150, after deducting money for fuel.

“People don’t want to believe it. Even the Ministry finds it hard to believe,” he said.

He added that people need to understand that as much as they are providing a service, minibus drivers are operating a business and have expenses. As it relates to the criticisms they have received from the general public, he said this is expected in society.

“No matter what you do, you will find some people against you, good or bad,” Leriche lamented, adding that some of the people who are criticizing them knew the adjustments were coming. According to Leriche, he had to work very hard to make the adjustments a reality.

“Standing in the middle of all of this was not easy. I had to walk up and down, back and forth. I had to write countless letters to the Ministry,” he said, adding that he had to try to please drivers of the route and commuters.

Leriche expressed thanks to Lenota Joseph, the Chief Transport Officer, and the National Council on Public Transportation (NCOPT) for their corporation in making the adjustments happen.

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