Yvonne Baboolal and Kevon Femline
The Route Three maxi taxi protest today does not appear to have any major impact on commuters travelling into and out of Chaguanas.
Some taxi drivers said it was because many commuters chose to stay at home and because the majority of taxis, buses and PH drivers came out as usual.
All green band maxis drivers on the Chaguanas stand parked up their vehicles and staged a protest at the site.
They are protesting an order to evict from the site they are occupying which is on privately owned land. They are resisting relocation and want nothing less than an extension of their stay on the stand.
Chaguanas Mayor Gopaul Boodan visited the drivers around mid morning and promised that the situation would be resolved.
However, in Claxton Bay pensioners and school children were forced to wait for longs hours in sizzling weather this morning.
The maxi taxi stand at St James Street was clean as a whistle with not even the touts and vendors coming out. According to nearby shop owner Andrew Kennedy, the usual crowd of commuters were out by 5.30 am, seemingly unaware of the drivers' protest. He said it was only when they began walking toward the taxi stand, word got around.
Taxi drivers for San Fernando/Couva had to absorb the influx of passengers as according to Chaguanas taxi driver Mark Greenidge, people who use green band maxi taxis usually drop out in the communities along the Southern Main Road between Chaguanas and San Fernando. Therefore, he said commuters from those communities would be affected most.
This proved to be true for residents who crowded Claxton Bay junction hoping to go either side of the rural community as the available taxis and PH maxi taxis were not able to meet the demands.