Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar will meet with representatives of the T&T Taxi Drivers Network (TTTDN) this week to discuss pending concerns over proposals to legalise private for hire (PH) taxi drivers. The assurance came from adviser to the Prime Minister, Gary Griffith, who spoke with members of the TTTDN yesterday outside the Prime Minister's office, St Clair Avenue, Port-of-Spain. "The Prime Minister has agreed she will meet with them (TTTDN) at 2.30 pm on Wednesday (tomorrow) at the Red House," Griffith told reporters.
President of TTTDN, Adrian Acosta, said since the Minister of Works and Transport Jack Warner revealed intentions to legitimise PH drivers, it had become increasingly difficult for them to function.
He added: "Since these statements (by Warner), there has been an increase of PH taxis on the road and it is now making the work of the taxi drivers very difficult. "We are also having confrontations with them on the stands." One taxi driver, of Princes Town, Chandrethed Rampersad, said drivers aggressively competed with them for passengers.
"Those PH men coming and parking in the taxi stand and they are demanding that you wait until their vehicles are filled before they move and hear what they are saying, 'Uncle Jack say that they could work PH now,'" Rampersad said. Though Warner gave the public his word that an efficient system (similar to procedures requisite to acquire a taxi badge) would be put in place before legislation on PH drivers was brought before Parliament, the TTTDN remained adamant in its objections. In response to his proposals, treasurer of the TTTDN Francis Geoffroy expressed his organisation's lack of confidence in it working, as legalising an illegal process would only create the same results.
"Most of them (PH drivers) will not go to get themselves legitimised and they will continue to work as they are working and then you'll have a PH to the 'legitimate' PH to the taxis because not everybody is going to go and do it," Geoffroy said. The network, which has been seeking a meeting with Warner since last October 18, has re-affirmed its position that a legal system was already in place to obtain a taxi badge and nothing short of those requirements should be entertained.