Coming to Guyana: A Look Inside the Amatur Bus

First Published: 7th of September, 2019. Region 9, Guyana, South America. GSA News. Guyana News

Last updated: July 11, 2024 at 13:51 pm

Editor’s Note: We first published this article in the year 2019 when the Amatur Bus Service from Brazil expressed an interest in expanding its services into Guyana. The company proposed to run the Lethem to Georgetown route. However, after doing a test drive along the trail in late 2019, the company decided to back down after the bus encountered difficulties in braving the broken and hazardous trail. Nevertheless, with the paving of the Lethem to Georgetown road in progress, the Amatur Bus Service still plans to come to Guyana. We spoke to several bus services which run the smaller 15-seater buses from Lethem to Georgetown. Some of the local bus services said that they are afraid that this competition, if it comes to Guyana, will swallow them up whole, and suggested instead that the government finances Guyanese bus services to purchase these super buses. On the other hand, the owner of Cindy Bus Service said they are not worried about the Brazilian competition, and that life will carry on as normal if it comes here.

The officials at Amatur Bus Service – one of Brazil’s leading national transportation providers – have expressed their intentions of tackling the Lethem – Georgetown route in Guyana, South America – providing an arguably more comfortable and safer travel option than what is presently available.

The Amatur Bus Service had first announced in 2019 that they were going to start their service in Guyana in November 2019. However, as we predicted, due to the bad state of the trail and some other bureaucratic factors, their launch has been postponed. The Amatur bus did a test drive of the trail in 2019 and found it too challenging for the bus.

Nevertheless, in mid-January 2020, the Amatur Bus Service once again made it clear that they will be in Guyana soon, perhaps after the trail has been paved or after it improves a bit, so we decided to give you a “look inside” the Amatur Bus – coming soon to Guyana!

The projected cost per passenger proposed by Amatur is 200 Brazilian Reals per person. This varies from about 40 to 60 US dollars or $8,000 to $12,000 Guyana dollars – depending on the fluctuating exchange rates.

Please note – this is one of the “newer models” of Amatur buses. There are some older models which do not have all, but most, of these features. Let’s hope they bring the newest models to Guyana if they do come. Or let’s insist!

Upper and Lower Compartments

The Amatur Bus has an upper and lower compartment: each compartment sporting an average of 40 seats.

Fully Air-conditioned

The bus is fully air-conditioned making travel through severe weather and dusty tracks “a breeze.”

TV for Entertainment Purposes

The bus is outfitted with a television in plain view of all passengers so you can be entertained while traveling to your destination.

Reclinable Seat

The Amatur buses have seats that recline to a 45 degrees angle so you can take a nap while traveling.

Footrest for Added Comfort

In front of every seat is a footrest to mount the feet and assume a more comfortable posture. Travel in style and comfort.

Phone Charging Port on Every Seat

Every seat of the Amatur bus is outfitted with a phone charging USB port in case your phone battery runs down and you need to charge it.

Cup Holders

In front of every seated passenger is convenient cup holder in case you’re sipping something while traveling.

High Storage Compartment

The bus can carry large volumes and weights of load – due to its maximized loading capacity.

Overhead Luggage Compartment

In addition to the bus’ enormous loading station located towards the bottom, the bus features a convenient overhead luggage compartment for handbags and other items.

Plastic Bags in Hand Reach

I guess these are placed here in case passengers need to dispose of small items such as paper wraps, or in case of a medical situation where a person needs to vomit suddenly, etc.

Washroom

Every bus is outfitted with a fully functional washroom just in case anyone needs to go “on the go.”

Although some Guyanese Bus Services working the route sees this as unfair competition, most Guyanese passengers are excited about this added luxury. Also, many Guyanese patriots are optimistic that this move will facilitate a greater flow of Brazilian tourists into Guyana – boosting the tourism industry and the local economy. So what do you think about the Amatur Bus Service coming to Guyana? Tell us in the comments section below.