Taxis, but no commuters on slow ‘Summit’ Friday

Taxi drivers plying the Port-of-Spain — San Fernando routes complained that passengers were few.

For most of yesterday morning, ten taxis remained parked on the High Street taxi stand, for hardly anyone was travelling into the big city.

The Red Zone went into effect from 6 am yesterday to secure the Hyatt Regency Hotel from regular pedestrian traffic. As a result, most employees in the private and public sectors who commute from south to work in Port-of-Spain, opted not to go to work yesterday.

Taxi driver Sherland Emrith, told Newsday he began soliciting passengers from as early as 5:30 am, but made only one trip into the capital city.

“I should have already made three trips, but downtown Port-of-Spain is like a ghost town because all the government buildings are closed,” Emrith said.

Another taxi driver, Michael Joseph, said most people avoided working yesterday because they were fearful the security measures might have impacted on their ability to leave Port-of-Spain after work. “I was out at 7 am, but I made only one trip, and I expect things to continue to be slow until the end of the Summit,” said Joseph.

The San Fernando-Curepe taxi drivers were better positioned, reporting to Newsday that they commuted many people to the University of the West Indies, St Augustine, where the Fourth Peoples Summit, an alternative summit to the Fifth Summit of the Americas, took place.

The bus service, in anticipation of slow movement of passengers from south into the big city, operated a minimal fleet of buses yesterday. Marketing and Public Relations Officer at the Public Transport Services Corporation, Stephanie Lovelace, commented that yesterday’s passenger traffic flow, was unusual for a Friday.

“There has been a noticeable change in terms of passenger traffic flow. We have been operational, though at a minimal level.” At Kings Wharf, San Fernando, angry fishmongers complained that they were at a lost to fathom reasons why they booted out the jetty and alongside the road.

As a precaution for the visiting spouses who will pay a courtesy call at the Wild Fowl Trust, Pointe-a-Pierre,

around 8 am today, the areas close to the Ferry Service Bay and Jetty, have been declared red zone areas. But one fisherman, Danny Sahadeo, 33, said: “The red zone is actually at the Fishing Centre and the Water Taxi jetty, but a newspaper said it was at the fish market and that is not true.”

Several fishermen said that fish sales were slow because regular customers avoided the Wharf area yesterday. Senior police officers told Newsday yesterday was the “quiet Friday’ south longed for “but look out for a heavy police presence today (Saturday”.

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