Buy local, maxi driver tells Minister

THE PRESIDENT of Route 2 Maxi-Taxi    Association, Costa George has criticised the Ministry of Works and Transport for inviting international tenders for the establishment of a National Transportation Study. In a letter to Minister Franklyn Khan, George said there were enough local professionals capable of doing the job. He referred to persons like Emmanuel George, a former Transport Commissioner, Augustus James, a former Minister of Works and Transport; and former Chief Traffic Engineer Roger Israel. Noting that there have been several National Transportation Studies by both local and foreign consultants over the last 18 years, George asked: “Why should we have to invite foreign consultants to come here again and advise us on what has already been studied and documented?”
  
He said the authorities are already aware of the remedial work needed to alleviate or curb the country’s transportation woes. It was Minister Khan who said last month at the launch of a shuttle service between Princes Town and Moruga that foreign tenders would be invited. George himself thought: “Our country definitely needs more roads, bridges and flyovers.  This will help the maxi taxi service to be more effective in  minimising  the hardships on the general travelling public,” said George. In another area, George said a mass system in the form of monorail or articulated buses to transport commuters from North to South and East to West just would not work. “The maxi taxi industry at this point in time is capable of moving any amount of persons from North to South and East toWest.” He said the maxi taxi service was very unique and played an integral part in the transportation needs of Trinidad and Tobago. He also said because of certain statements made by the Minister, financial institutions had put a hold on the financing of maxi taxis. He called for a removal of import duties, motor vehicle tax and vat when purchasing a new or foreign used maxi taxi. “The single most destructive factor in the maxi taxi trade, is the high cost imposed on owners — import duties, stamp duty, motor vehicle tax and vat,” said George.