Taxi driver fined for putting out passenger for another job

Hemwattie Bishun, a hire car driver from AA Springlands, Corriverton, Corentyne, was on Tuesday fined a total of $30,000 after being found guilty of two traffic offences, including failing to take a passenger to the agreed destination.

Bishun appeared before Magistrate Matthias at the Albion Magistrates’ Court, where she faced charges of failing to carry a passenger to the agreed destination under Section 85:1 of the Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic Act, and disorderly conduct of a driver.

According to the case, the incident occurred on 12 August, when Bishun, while operating hire car HD 7680, picked up Berbice journalist Andrew Carmichael in New Amsterdam. The two agreed that she would transport him to Number 65 Village, Corentyne.

The court heard that during the journey, Bishun reportedly received a phone call and later informed Carmichael that she would only be going as far as Rose Hall Town, claiming she had to return to New Amsterdam to collect two other passengers who were hiring the entire car.

Carmichael told the court that he reminded Bishun it was an offence to refuse to take a passenger to the agreed destination, and that he was under no obligation to pay her if she did not complete the trip. Upon reaching Rose Hall Town, Bishun allegedly ordered Carmichael out of the car and verbally abused him.

In her defence, Bishun claimed she was unaware that refusing to complete an agreed-upon trip was an offence, and confirmed that her vehicle had no mechanical issues on that day.

In handing down her decision, Magistrate Matthias ruled that the vehicle was in good working condition and that Bishun was legally obligated to complete the journey as promised. She was fined $15,000 for each of the two offences, or in default, 100 days’ imprisonment.

The magistrate also issued a stern warning to Bishun, urging her to inform her colleagues in the hire car industry that abandoning passengers before reaching the agreed destination constitutes an offence under the law.