PARAMARIBO, Suriname, May 7, CMC – Chairman of the Organization of Bus and Boat Owners School Transport (OBBS), Wayne Telgt, says politics played no role in his organisations decision to suspend with immediate effect, the school transport programme.
“This suspension is not the result of unwillingness, but of pure necessity. The members would like to continue their work, but without fuel, maintenance and resources this is simply not possible,” Telgt said.
“The elections are on May 25, but on May 26 the children must simply go back to school,” Telgt said, adding that the organisation is committed to a healthy, reliable and sustainable school transport system, independent of political developments.
In a statement, the OBBS said that it had been forced to adopt the stringent measure because its members were unable to receive “crucial payments” and that in recent days, various attempts to release financial resources, including through government advisor Humphrey Tjin Liep Shie and the Office of the President, have yielded no results.
As a result, the OBBS said its members are struggling with serious payment arrears, including for the months of January and February 2025 and the monthly compensation for April.
It said that due to the debt owed to petrol stations, it has become impossible to provide their services.
The OBBS said it is offering it “sincere apologies to parents, teachers, pupils and students” who are now unable to use the private school transport system.
During an emergency general meeting, the the OBBS unanimously decided to establish a ial working group to tackle structural problems within the sector.
It is suggesting that an inter-ministerial approach is necessary, given that the Ministry of Economic Affairs is also involved in the problem. It said also that transparency in route distribution and fair treatment of entrepreneurs must be central to this.
The OBBS said it is calling on the authorities to take the necessary action as soon as possible and that it remains open to consultation and cooperation to ensure the continuity of school transport in Suriname.
CMC/oc/ir/225