Maxis, taxis park up today

The drivers are protesting Works and Transport Minister Jack Warner’s plans to regularise private-hire (PH) taxi drivers and his lack of consultation with them.

During a press conference at the Route 2 Maxi Taxi Association’s office in City Gate, South Quay, Port-of-Spain (PoS), presidents of various maxi taxi associations challenged Warner’s claims that they never sent a letter requesting to meet with him.

Warner said this on Monday as he announced his ministry’s plans to counteract today’s protest which includes putting an additional100 buses on the Priority Bus Route (PBR), opening up the PBR to commuters from 4 am to midnight and utilising the water taxi service to transport over 1,000 commuters from San Fernando to PoS beginning from 5.30 am to 9.30 pm.

Eon Hewitt, president of the Yellow Band Maxi Taxi Association, said when they met Warner on October 10 he promised to meet with them within three weeks.

“We met with Warner in October, he told the country, we will meet in three weeks time. He hasn’t called for that meeting. We have been speaking with Warner’s personal secretary and asking for this meeting and we haven’t gotten it,” he said.

He pointed to a letter they hand delivered to the Ministry of Works and Transport on November 30.

The letter stated, “We the presidents and chairman of the six routes of the Association of Maxi Taxis of Trinidad and Tobago met on November 23, 2010 in Tobago where it was decided to write to you again asking for another meeting at your convenience...The associations are aware of the tight schedule you keep and are willing to meet any day and anytime to continue this very important meeting.”

Hewitt said Warner claimed he did not receive the letter. “If they didn’t give it to Warner, that is not our problem, we know we sent it. You cannot be telling the nation that we are not calling for meetings when we are,” he said. Linus Phillip, Route 2 Maxi Taxi Association president, apologised to the public for the inconvenience and said they did not want people to say the drivers were “holding anyone for ransom.”

“This issue with the PH is about being fair to one and all. We are doing the same job, transportation of passengers, we are asked to get basic requirements to do that job and here it is Warner is about to legalise a mode of transportation and they have to get nothing,” he said.

He warned the travelling public that the “white vans” used by PH drivers that may come out tomorrow to pick up the slack were only registered to carry three people and anything over that makes it illegal.

Phillip called the protest action a success as they got Warner to cancel his trip to Qatar yesterday as he wanted to stay to monitor the situation. Warner along with several PTSC and ministry officials will be on the PBR from 5 am starting at the Arima Bus Terminal where he will make stops at Five Rivers, Tunapuna, Curepe and San Juan. At Five Rivers Junction, two regiment buses will be stationed to take commuters to PoS.

Kelvin Pierre, president of the Green Band Maxi Taxi Association, said Chaguanas/Curepe, Chaguanas/South, Arima/Brazil/Talparo, PoS/Chaguanas and PoS/South routes will be affected as well.

Taxi drivers would also be joining the maxi protest. President of the TT Taxi Drivers Network (TDN) Adrian Acosta said they will be taking a day of rest.

“Warner is looking to take away all the security of transporting the public. To be a taxi driver, you have to get a certificate of character from the police, be at least 21 years and driving for two years, all these criteria were put in place for the public’s safety and if you take that away it means you are going to be putting their life in danger,” he said.

The network yesterday delivered a letter to the Office of Prime Minister calling upon the Government to withdraw its decision to legalise PH drivers within 72 hours.