At the Long Circular taxi stand in Port-of-Spain drivers demanded an increased presence of police officers and traffic wardens along the new routes, saying they were notably absent yesterday. The congestion at Roxy Roundabout has also resulted in taxi drivers being reluctant to make regular trips while private drivers caught in the gridlock at Roxy Roundabout vented their frustration and branded the plan as a failure. Although some drivers were armed with their maps, they struggled to comprehend it. "So far we making less trips. The problem is really the people who we have to drop at Ariapita Avenue. You have to go on Tragarete Road so it does not make any sense for me to take nobody for the avenue," said taxi driver Franklyn Charles yesterday.
Another Long Circular taxi driver, Roger Yearwood, said he had no choice but to "just work the avenue." He added: "I will work the avenue for the time being. Normally we pick up Long Circular and the avenue together but I just have to pick up the avenue and come down Port-of-Spain to make it faster." A St James taxi driver, who only gave his name as Amar, said it was too early to determine whether that plan should be abandoned. He said the routes which were now one-way should be reverted to, but for specific periods. Taxi drivers working various parts of west Port-of-Spain have also not given definite routes, said Works Minister Emmanuel George.
He said: "The taxi drivers have not given a definite route where St James and Long Circular and so on would take them. "But we believe in due course they will be able to determine those routes because those routes will be determined by the demand of the travelling public because wherever the travelling public wants to go the taxi drivers would provide that route for them." The Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC) was also considering to provide service to Woodbrook and St James. On increased fares George said the plan was implemented to reduce the time of the average taxi driver.
