Bus operators in Grenada are planning another protest next week against high fuel prices and the deplorable state of the nation’s road network.
One bus operator told THE NEW TODAY that discussions are also taking place with some private vehicle owners to join in the action to send a message to the Keith Mitchell-led ruling New National Party (NNP) administration that the issues plaguing the transport industry needs to be addressed.
“We’re doing it in such a way now that more private vehicle owners and more people to get involved,” he said.
According to the source, some employees in government ministries are giving them tacit support in the protest action against the Mitchell regime on the serious issues affecting busmen.
He said that some state employees indicated that if they had known beforehand about last week’s protest action they would have gotten involved in the struggle.
“So now we are trying to see how many private vehicle owners we could get involved,” he remarked.
The source pointed out that bus operators are individually reaching out to the private vehicle owners to show open solidarity to them in the struggle.
In last week’s protest, most of the buses that took part came from the popular Grand Anse route with some of their colleagues in the St. George’s Bus Terminal to St. George North-east areas.
The buses from Zone 8 which covers Happy Hill in the St. George North-west constituency of Prime Minister Dr. Mitchell did not take part in the protest action along with busmen from Gouyave, Victoria and Sauteurs on the western side of the island.
A limited number of buses from the Grenville association did give some support to the protest action.
The source said the busmen are not optimistic of getting support in next week’s planned protest from those who operate in Victoria and Gouyave.
Grenada has been plagued by protest action within the past 16 months since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
The first massive demonstration saw hundreds turn out to give support to Evans Smith who was beaten following an incident with a dog by some whites in the well-to-do Fort Jeudy area and then the anti-government protest in what became known as the Martial Law bill that was withdrawn from Parliament as the regime attempted to introduce drastic measures in the fight against the deadly virus.
In more recent weeks, teachers in particular were engaged in street marches and night vigils to force government to honour its commitment on the 4% salary increase which should have come into effect from the end of January.