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– affected persons plead for concessionsMini-bus operators and the owners of trucks taking goods to mines and interior communities are now becoming agitated at the ongoing protest in the town of Linden and want an audience with the authorities so they can go back to business.The operators must pass through Linden to get to Regions Seven, Eight and Nine, but with the roads blocked for three weeks now, they are stuck on both sides of the town.Interior transport operators protest at Office of the PresidentSince the protests began, operators have been “squatting” at the parking lot of the Guyana National Stadium at Providence, East Bank Demerara. The men have tied hammocks between trucks to sleep at nights, but when it rains, they find escape in the truck cabins.They cook at the parking lot as they keep guard of the trucks laden with fuel and goods.The operators say that they were prepared to endure what was supposed to be a five-day protest. However, they say they can no longer bear up.“We have no problems with the people of Linden and we don’t want to get into the reason for their protest, all we want is to be able to carry out our business, even if on a limited basis,” said Marlon Joseph of Takutu Holdings.He said that he is already one-month behind on his loan repayment.John Peters,Nike NFL Jerseys China, who has been a minibus driver to Mahdia for the past seven years, said that he could no longer afford not to work.“We understand that Linden has its problems, but we have to live too,” he said.Naresh Ramkissoon, who has two trucks, also expressed his frustration of losing considerable business while racking up expenses as his trucks are stalled and his workers have nowhere to go.Roger Smith, who lives in Mahdia, said that it is unfair that Linden minibuses and other transport is allowed to go to a certain point in Linden, taking in much needed supplies.However, he said that this is not the case for far-flung communities which depend on them to receive rations which are now running out causing a hike in prices for key commodities.Loaded trucks stranded at the StadiumThe operators are looking to meet with Region Ten chairman Sharma Solomon in hopes of working out a compromise. Some suggest that they be allowed to pass between two to four days a week.To press for a resumption of normalcy in the transportation route through Linden, the operators staged a protest at the Office of the President yesterday afternoon.Later, they met with Minister of the Environment and Natural Resources Robert Persaud.According to Smith, the Minister informed them that the security forces have been ordered by the President to clear the road and that they would be afforded security protection as they seek to pass through the town. |
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