Newsday Editorial
January 6 2011 – newsday.co.tt
The current dispute between the operators of maxi taxis and the Government, represented by Minister of Works and Transport Jack Warner, will have no winners. Even if the maxi taxi operators prevail, and prevent in some way, the proposed “regularisation” of PH taxis, the travelling public will end up losing a form of transport upon which many people depend. The operators will have lost their earnings for Wednesday, and for any other days which they decide to withdraw their services. PH drivers, many of whom are honest (outside of their “PH breach”) hard-working individuals, may lose the opportunity to become a legitimate part of the economy. And the travelling public is suffering.
The maxi taxi operators have withdrawn their services in protest of Government’s announcement that the PH taxis will be “regularised”. However, the full details of this proposed “regularisation” have not yet been presented for examination and comment. The maxi operators are claiming that if the PH drivers are regularised, they (the maxis) will suffer. However, the PH taxis are already all in existence, and have been operating for years, and there has been no complaint from either the maxi or the legitimate “H” drivers. This fact is being lost in the noise being raised on the issue.
The maxi operators are also demanding a meeting with Warner, to whom they claim they have sent a letter, and have received no response. Warner claims that he has seen no such letter or demand, and his door remains open should he receive the letter. Warner has, since taking up office, always met with stakeholders claiming an interest in his initiatives, so we do not wish to think he is now avoiding the maxi operators. Indeed, he had met with them in the past, on the matter of “opening up” the Priority Bus Route.
We would like to suggest that Mr Warner take the initiative, and invite the operators to come in to his office to discuss their concerns. However, this could only be effective if the Government has a plan for the regularisation of the PH taxis, which would include the safety of vehicles, the insurance they would need, and the routes upon which they would be permitted to operate.
The Government, in its turn, could also use the opportunity presented in a meeting, to discuss the consumer complaints along the East-West Corridor, where maxi taxi operators have been accused of creating “short-drops” for persons trying to travel into the city along the PBR. The operators have been accused by travellers of dropping off their passengers at “stations” along the way, and then re-loading to continue the journey into the city.
We have no doubt that much of the “heat” being generated on this issue, like aligning the matter with the labour unions’ current demonstrations against the Government, have a political agenda in the background. All of this is not good for our country at this time, as we try to readjust to the new economic realities we face.
We can ill afford massive disruptions in our transport system at this time. Thousands of persons were badly inconvenienced yesterday, and we must not allow this situation to continue. We urge all concerned to find some common ground to restore our transportation system to normalcy. And we believe that the stage can be set for meaningful dialogue by Government outlining just what is their proposal and method for regularising the current PH taxis.
http://www.newsday.co.tt/editorial/0,133622.html
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With $450 million already spent on designs ,and consultancy fees, we are also familiar with the mammoth collections of objections put forward -even by allegedly global, sophisticated folks -over the past year ,against the proposed $15 billion ,Rapid Rails project , that would have placed a dent on Trini Traffic congestion woes , create jobs,curb environmental pollutions by too many cars, improve productivity of workers getting back and forth to work, and facilitate our forays into modern sustainable development. Perhaps it’s time to say no to blackmail , on all fronts, and get serious about changes , yes?
Well there was ‘Houses before horses ,’ back in the days when Uncle Shah, and protaonist Bas, were serious players in the Caroni Labour Front, and we see where that got us, so maybe 2011 is different.
Dey have busses dat are fuel efficient and run on hydrogen today. Daize de future. Taxi maxi drivers cannot win when uncle Jack in charge. He eh go bite at all. Dey shoulda know better dan to raise Jack ire. Watch how dey go suffer now. Jack goin to bring in more buses. An dem Maxi driver along with ph drivers will be like dogs eatin the “scrumbs” from de political table. Yuh have to realise yuh can’t hang Jack boy. Yuh need the king, queen or ace to do dat. The queen in charge ah the government and king an ace on jack side.
“The queen in charge ah the government? ”
Yeah khem ,you and others ,can continue enjoy that naive thought while it still last , or continue to make some sense, as we say.
Now tell me , where are you, and Jack planning to drive this expensive busses, that he plans to introduce? Is it in on the downtown Toronto , or Ontario main roads. The last time we checked , you still had 1.3 million people in our country , with the same amount of cars ,all vying to use the same congested roads , and de overcrowded PBR lil stretch of land, but then Central Farmers needs takes priority , over other citizens , so to hell with Rapid Rails, as promised during electioneering gimmickry mantra ,and it has returned to kick ‘you alls,’ in the face, so it seems.
Hey on a more serious note, both Chambers , Robbie , and your boy Bas, attempted to go against the will of the people, and look what happened to dem a la one term , and ghashley political fortunes .
Perhaps you would be better served to advise them about the consequences for politicians who fails to learn from history.
Tell me , my brother , you and similar delusional, are still hip on legalizing handguns across Trinidad,like those 2nd Amendment nuts in America enjoys, even while they own the largest military , spends the most on domestic security , than any and country in the world ? Perhaps not , if you guys wish that your leaders would die in their sleep , long after retirement, and during old ages as Sir Ellis did , but den , I always stand corrected, hmmmm?
“and your boy Bas, attempted to go against the will of the people, and look what happened to dem a la one term , and ghashley political fortunes.”
Neal, the revionist strikes again.Bas, in fact had two terms. His third was taken away from him by Robbie “on moral grounds”.
Remember,Bas did not lose the election.T&T at that time became the first member of the Commonwealth to remove a sitting PM,having not lost the election.
If Robbie had any guts, then rest assured that he Basdeo ,would have loosed more that a term in office for what he encouraged to take place against Ah we bouy de Castara kid leading up to 1990, and beyond.
Can you imaging T-Man, what you , the rest of selective sections of then disgruntled , but now ecstatic T&T , as well as the international community at large, would be screaming even up to present moment , if a pseudo religious Christian bum , had walked into Parliament , with his fellow bandits , and shot Basdeo in his knees , and use an AK47 to do what we will never know ,to his trusted female frontline comrade Queen K, as was done to sister Pamela Nicholson, eh? Do you fervently believe that almost two decades would past , and no Commission of Enquiry initiated by three to four successive government , bearing in mind that most members, of such , were either conveniently out of Parliament on that fateful day, or on vacation in places such as Grenada etc – like a certain fake Human Right head guru com AG , opportunist?
And here you are T-Man waxing nostalgic over the fortunes of a man who dug his hole in the sand ,and justifiably fell right in. Speaking about digging a hole ,perhaps we can say, let’s go COP , and the resilient Winston Dookeran, for he tried the same maneuver on you as well, and now you are having the last laugh. Time to expedite those trials, and T-Man , it’s time to support real justice , yes?