Grenada Today - The National Newspaper of Grenada, Carriacou & Petite Martinique

The Grenville Bus Association (GBA) has continued to defy an order from Transport Minister Dr. Claris Modeste-Curwen to roll back to four dollars the five dollars the busmen are now charging students travelling from St. Andrew's to St. George;s to attend the T.A Maryshow Community College (TAMCC) in St. George's.

The minister announced last week that the increase fare was "illegal".
The bus men started collecting the $5.00 last week from the nation's tertiary students.They said that they were merely collecting the fares which were approved by the Ministry of Transport three years ago.

The decision of the bus men has angered some commuters and the National Bus Association (NBA) resulting in the body disassociating itself from the decision taken by the Grenville bus men.

Last week, Dr. Modeste-Curwen was forced to intervene in the situation and announced that government had not sanctioned any price increase for the bus men and that commuters should not pay the new fares. The senior government minister also summoned a meeting between officials of her ministry and the association.

The President of the bus men association, Desmond "Ram Ram" John later told reporters that the fees are legal and called on Modeste-Curwen to differentiate between students and adults. GRENADA TODAY learnt that some buses have resorted to putting down persons who refuse to pay the $5.00 bus.

The bus men operate a pay-first system and are openly telling the students do not come onto the bus if they do not have the $5.00 fare to pay them. A police officer on the Melville Street bus stand was seen intervening in a dispute between a student and a bus conductor who was refusing to give back the student her one dollar change after handing him a $5.00 bill.

Minister Modeste-Curwen met Tuesday with President John and his Vice President, Frank Jones upstairs the Melville Street Fish Market to discuss the impasse. John told this newspaper after the meeting that several recommendations were made to the Minister on matters such as concession for bus operators, as well as the day-to-day problems facing bus men in their operations.

However, John declined to comment specifically on the matter of hike in the fare for TAMCC students on the grounds that he and the Vice President will have to meet with their membership for further discussion on the issue. He spoke of another meeting planned with the Transport Minister for a decision on the new fares.

John insisted that the buses will continue collecting the $5 from the tertiary students. This newspaper has learnt that at least one bus conductor has found himself in trouble for taking $5.00 from a passenger.

A well-placed source said the busman had a law suit brought against him by a commuter after she was allegedly charged $5 for her daughter who is believed to be a student of TAMCC.