Georgetown: The Mayor and City Council (M&CC) has been tightening the reigns around the various minibus parks, as a total of 80 touts were detained in the span of one month, according to Chief Constable Andrew Foo on Monday at their statutory meeting.
Foo, at the meeting, informed the Councillors that the 80 young men were charged with the offence of soliciting passengers and none were repeat offenders.
Touts can be described as young men who assist in loading passengers into buses. However, over the past year or so, the touts have become increasingly violent when it comes to getting customers for buses, leading to an increase in passengers complaining about the unprincipled behaviour of many touts on the various bus parks earlier in June of this year.
Though touting has been banned in Guyana, it has become an “easy way” for young men and women to gain a daily income, since it requires one to be persuasive and does not call for academic qualifications.
Touts can be seen taking their positions at the various bus parks in Georgetown, from as early as 06:00h and it has been made into a competition to “see who can load a minibus the fastest.”
Complaints made by many passengers revolved around the hostile behaviour of some touts who refuse to accept rejection and their indecent language.
Touts have been known for grasping onto passenger’s private belongings and in some cases, one tout might escort a passenger to one minibus while another takes their bags to another.
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