Berbice hire car driver fined for abandoning passenger mid-trip

A Corentyne hire car driver was on Tuesday fined $30,000 after being found guilty of two offences, including failing to take a passenger to the agreed destination, in what the presiding magistrate described as a clear breach of the Motor Vehicle and Traffic Act.

Hemwattie Bishun, a hire car operator of AA Springlands, Corriverton, Berbice, appeared before Magistrate Michelle Matthias at the Albion Magistrate’s Court, charged with failing to carry a passenger to the agreed destination under Section 85:1 of the Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic Act.

She was also charged with disorderly conduct of a driver.

The incident occurred on August 12, when Bishun, while operating hire car HD 7680, picked up reporter Andrew Carmichael in New Amsterdam. She agreed to take him to Number 65 Village, Corentyne.

However, during the journey, Bishun reportedly received a telephone call. Afterwards, she told her passengers that she would not be proceeding beyond Rose Hall Town, as she had to return to New Amsterdam to collect two other passengers who were paying for the entire car.

Carmichael told the court that he reminded the driver that it was an offence not to take a passenger to the agreed destination and that he had no obligation to pay her if she refused to complete the trip. He further testified that upon reaching Rose Hall Town, the driver ordered him out of her car and verbally abused him.

In her defence, Bishun told the court that she was unaware that refusing to complete an agreed-upon trip was an offence, adding that her vehicle had no mechanical issues on that day.

Magistrate Matthias found that the vehicle was in good working condition and ruled that the driver was legally obligated to complete the journey as promised. Bishun was fined $15,000 for each of the two offences or spend 100 days in prison.

Bishun was also told to inform her fellow hire car operators that abandoning passengers before reaching the agreed destination is an offence.