A plain talk reflection on the rising cost of transportation in our own land.
Let’s gyaff straight. These days, getting from one region to another in Guyana feels more like a test of survival than a basic right. A simple trip from Linden to Georgetown can feel like a luxury for some and a sacrifice for many. Whether you’re rushing to Berbice for a funeral or catching a minibus before day clean just to make it to work on time, the real price of travel in Guyana is becoming unbearable — and we’re not just talking dollars and cents.
So, yes — the government recently announced that travel across the Demerara and Berbice River bridges is now toll-free. And while some call that “progress,” we need to pause and ask: progress for who? Who really benefits when tolls are removed but fares remain the same?
Let’s put the figures on the table.
A return trip from Linden to Georgetown can run you over GYD 3,000 by minibus — on a calm day. For someone earning around GYD 3,000 per day (the rough daily equivalent of minimum wage), that’s a whole day’s pay gone in transport alone. Multiply that by five days a week, and you’ll realise just how much commuting is silently robbing the working class.
Now let’s look at the so-called “big picture.” The removal of bridge tolls means private vehicle owners and trucking companies now save a few hundred dollars per trip. That’s good — but only if the savings are passed down. Are we seeing lower bus fares? Are goods in the market cheaper? Has school transportation improved? Has Region 10 seen a drop in short-drop fares? If not, then what we have is not relief — it’s rebranding.
Because make no mistake: if minibus fares stay the same — or go up — and fuel prices continue to fluctuate, then “toll-free” becomes another headline with no real impact on our daily grind.
We’re not pointing fingers at drivers. We know they catching their tail too. Fuel expensive. Tyres gone up. Parts hard to find. And most of them operate in an unregulated system where fares get set based on vibes, weather, or desperation. But that’s exactly the problem. In the absence of oversight, everyone is doing what they feel — and the commuters are paying the price.
Let’s bring in some perspective:
1. A one-way flight from Georgetown to Lethem: around GYD 26,000 (USD 125).
2. A one-way road trip to Lethem: about GYD 14,000–16,000 — plus 14–16 hours on rough terrain.
3. A one-way ticket to Barbados: often starts at GYD 47,000–56,000 (USD 228–266). That’s just twice the cost of flying to Lethem, but it gets you out the country.
It raises a deeper question: in a country boasting billions of US dollars in annual oil revenue, why is moving around still so expensive for the average man and woman? Why does a short taxi ride in town eat up nearly half of someone’s daily earnings? Why is crossing a river free, but crossing a region so costly?
We need to ask ourselves:
1. Should there be a national fare guide — especially for long-haul routes?
2. Can the government subsidise tyres, fuel or insurance for registered operators — in exchange for standardised fares?
3. Is it time for a state-run transport system in key regions like Region 10, Region 6 and the Hinterland?
4. And most importantly: who’s truly representing commuters at the policy table?
Because toll-free doesn’t mean trouble-free. And removing the toll won’t fix the cracks in the system.
We can’t build a new Guyana on old, broken transportation models. We can’t preach prosperity while workers strain their backs and their pockets just to get to work. And we certainly can’t cheer development when the cost of movement remains a daily burden for the people most in need of relief.
Yes — remove the tolls. But don’t stop there.
Regulate the routes.
Standardise the fares.
Support the operators.
Protect the commuters.
Put the people first.
In a land this rich, nobody should be priced out of movement.
Let’s reason.
Has toll-free travel made your life easier — or is it just another political photo op?
Drop your experience below 