Guyana gov’t issues warning to public transport owners over increasing fares

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – The Guyana government on Tuesday said it has “neither approved nor sanctioned” any increase in fares across all modes of public transportation, including minibuses, hire cars, speedboats, and airport taxis.

“No fare increase has been approved by the government, whether it is for speedboats, taxis, minibuses, or hire cars. The fares remain the same. No Guyanese citizen, tourist, child, or worker should be forced to pay increased rates,” said Public Works Minister Bishop Juan Edghill.

“Furthermore, no driver has the authority to put a passenger out of their vehicle for refusing to pay unapproved fares. If anyone forces you to pay an increased fare or subjects you to harassment, report it immediately and we, as the regulators, will take decisive action,” he warned.

A statement from the Ministry of Public Works said Edghill led a government delegation, which included Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Susan Rodrigues, who also has oversight of the Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission; Director General of the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), Captain Stephen Thomas; and Traffic Chief and Assistant Commissioner of Police Mahendra Singh, to a meeting with public transport owners on Monday.

“The public meeting was organized in response to growing reports of arbitrary fare increases by operators. The open forum allowed commuters to share their experiences and gave operators a platform to voice their concerns.”

The statement quoted Rodrigues as reminding commuters that public transportation is classified as a public utility and passengers are legally protected against price gouging.

“A public utility includes the carriage of passengers by motor vehicles, including minibuses and hire cars. Therefore, you can lodge a formal complaint with the Public Utilities Commission if you are charged above the approved fare structure.

“We often hear complaints that fares suddenly double during heavy traffic or peak seasons like Christmas. This arbitrary increase is unacceptable and distorts fair market conditions,” Rodrigues added.

The statement said the meeting was also informed that the government has continuously implemented cushions, such as removing fuel taxes, absorbing shipping cost increases and slashing duties on key commodities, specifically to shield citizens and operators from global inflationary pressures.

“The government has warned that non-compliance will carry severe consequences,” the statement said.

Thomas said operating licences are a privilege, not a right, and are tied directly to regulatory compliance and passenger safety.

“Let us be categorically clear: operators who arbitrarily engage in price gouging will have their licences suspended or revoked. There is a long waiting list of applicants eager to operate on these routes, so non-compliant operators will simply be replacing themselves.

“We have already recorded the identities of the operators who left passengers stranded this weekend, and we intend to suspend their licences,” he added.

The statement said that while the government maintains a strict stance against unauthorized fare hikes, it acknowledged the operational challenges raised by transport providers, specifically the rising and unregulated costs of vehicular spare parts.

“To address this, the government pledged to engage major importers and distributors of automotive parts to explore interventions that can lower overhead costs for operators,” the statement added.

Edghill has since warned that all public transportation operators must prominently display their approved fare structures inside their vehicles or vessels for passengers to see.

“The Government of Guyana remains committed to ensuring an affordable, safe, and equitable public transportation system that protects the livelihoods of operators while robustly safeguarding the pockets of the Guyanese public,” he added.

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