PLO to receive first portion of fuel compensation

“The members of the Private Regular Service Bus Owners’ Organization (PLO) will reportedly receive the first portion of the back fuel compensation,” said John Mahadewsing, chairman of the PLO, at a meeting on Monday night. Union officials had reportedly met with Joyce Blokland, director at the Transport Directorate of the Ministry of Transport, earlier that day. Both parties reportedly discussed the problems within the private regular bus service sector. One of the problems is the back payment of the fuel compensation which is supposed to take place every 3 months. The union officials pointed out that the payments had not been made for the past 7 months and that the bus owners did not know how they would stay afloat. Both parties then agreed that the fuel compensation of the last quarter of 2017 will be paid this week. The government also agreed to make the payments every 3 months in order to get back on track with the payments. Another problem that was discussed at the meeting is the re-registration of bus owners at the Transport Directorate. Mahadewsing had initially urged the union members not to comply because they had already been reregistered last month. After the meeting with Blokland the PLO changed its mind and also urged the bus owners to show up for the re-registration as it is part of the regulation of the bus sector. The union chairman pointed out that the union would fully cooperate as long as the government keeps its promise to make the fuel compensation payments on time.

Suraj Sahadew-Lall, chairman of the action committee, responded by saying that the PLO’s instructions are a deliberate form of hierarchy. “Each bus owner is obligated to fulfill his duty by getting the papers in order and getting re-registered. If you do not do that you are hiding something,” said SahadewLall.