$15M school bus for Reg. 10
─ provided by Region 10 Administration
─ to benefit communities such as Coomacka, Old England, Nottinghamshire and Three Friends
─ RDC emulating David G Five B’s initiative
─ bus to provide free transportation service for students attending school in Linden
DPI, Guyana, Saturday, February 2, 2019
A new $15M 30-seater, off-road school bus, has been purchased by the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region 10 with the aim of providing free transportation for students to attend school in Linden.
The students who will benefit from this gesture reside in communities such as Coomacka, Old England, Nottinghamshire and Three Friends. These communities are approximately 15 miles from Linden and transportation cost per day is approximately $500.
On February 1, there was a simple handing over ceremony which saw regional officials expressing satisfaction that responsibility of providing hefty transportation cost will be alleviated for parents. Also, students will be able to attend school regularly and punctually.
At the handing over, Regional Chairman, Renis Morian said that the administration is following the mandate of the government, to enable children to attend school regularly, through free transportation provision.
“What you see now is a fulfilment of Government’s promise to the people of Upper Demerara-Berbice and particularly the people of Coomacka and its environs, to ensure the children have reliable transportation so they can be in school,” Morian said.
He mandated the Regional Education Officer Rabrindra Singh to ensure that proper systems are enacted to ensure the bus is maintained and cared for by a reliable driver and conductor.
Regional Education Officer (REO), Rabindra Singh said that the bus would boost the Department’s agenda of further development and a committee will be formed to ensure the vehicle is not damaged. “As the REDO, I would like to assure all, that this bus would be used effectively and to assure the students of Coomacka that the transportation difficulties that they had faced for a while would no longer exist.”
Regional Executive Officer I(REO), Orrin Gordon who was instrumental in the purchasing of the bus, expressed his satisfaction that the region has received the bus. “We are happy that the bus has been delivered and will add that the service is great… with the bus being here, we are very happy to move forward.”
In 2016, a school bus was gifted to the community through the David G 5 B’s initiative, but the vehicle suffered mechanical problems due to the rough terrain for which it was unsuited.
Story and Images: Vanessa Braithwaite