By Kimani Wiseman
The service of minivans is imperative to the economy. Daily, they transport school children, workers, the elderly, tourists and other people to their destinations.
The drivers of minivans have a lot of lives in their hands as they service their routes daily. However, a lot of drivers and conductors are very reckless and unprofessional with the services they offer.
Very early in the morning and the afternoon, you enter some minivans and the conductor offers his seat to passengers and sometimes tells you to “small up”.
Some of these conductors wear a vest and the hair under their armpit is long and thick like a polar bear’s. They don’t shower or use deodorant and their armpit is in your face because there is no seat for them to sit.
The roads in St. Vincent and the Grenadines are very narrow and some minivan drivers want to turn these roads into a Formula 1 racetrack. Have a look at the statistics for 2023 and the results are alarming with the number of minivans that got into accidents. Can you envision a family or close friend dying from this reckless driving?
Minivans recently got an increase in bus fares. However, a lot of minivan drivers want to leave you halfway on your journey and expect you to pay the full fare. A half journey should be half pay.
The loud music is a serious problem in these minivans. You enter these minivans and the bass from the music rattles the windows and your chest. Leaving these minivans would give you a migraine headache or you might go deaf.
The loud music and speeding are sometimes used as a marketing strategy to attract students and to attract as many women in the drivers and conductors’ lives. Some conductors and minivan drivers can also be seen drinking alcohol while transporting passengers.
I remember a couple of years ago there was a popular traffic police whose nickname was Gold Teeth. Gold Teeth used to hide behind poles and in bushes to catch the perpetrators breaking the traffic rules. He was hated by many, but he used to get his job done. I think in the Traffic Department needs more Gold Teeth. The greatest rapper of all time, Tupac Shakur has a song named “All Eyes On Me”. All eyes need to be on minivans.
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I remember gold teeth very well.
The people who can make a change are the legislators but they don’t care. They don’t have to use the mini bus services. They have their own transport. I’ve seen new born babies in these vans with sound system blaring.
Why can’t we legislate that there must not have amplified music in vans?
The authorities which is inclusive of the police traffic department as well as the law insurance companies that do insured these vehicles should make the punishment punitive deterrent to curtail these irresponsible behavior.
This matter needs to be addressed once and for all. These drivers are a menace to all Vincentians and public safety.
Control the madness. Execute tougher traffic laws as a deterrent .
If you ask them to turn the overbearing noise down, they will stop and tell you to get out. Disgraceful human beings. They need to change their dirty ways
Buy aryo own vehicles n stop trying to control other people own.cause y’all does know which vans speeding n which vans playing loud music n y’all still does enter them so y y’all complaining???
Half of y’all passengers are so disrespectful..so most times y’all get what y’all deserve
You don’t like it then don’t ride it simple 📍