Editorial
Newsday
WE ARE all for making people who use state facilities for profit pay their fair share back.
But government’s abrupt doubling of the quarterly toll for maxi-taxis using the Priority Bus Route (PBR) from $300 to $600 strikes as a step too far, too soon.
The toll dates to 1988. It’s been in place for almost four decades. So, it’s high time it was updated.
But at a moment when government, in a push to bolster revenues and crack down on errant drivers, is already raising many other road traffic fines and duties, this does not strike us as the right moment to usher in this change.
Worse, the manner in which Legal Notice No 475 was promulgated on December 22 without a word of warning or consultation leaves a lot to be desired.
Predictably, drivers are now mulling increased fares, with it being suggested that the cost of a short drop could move from $5 to $8. That’s almost as much as the entire Port of Spain to Arima fare of $10.
Is this how you curb inflation?
Understandably, the mere suggestion of a fare change has triggered panic among commuters.
Increasing the PBR toll might be justifiable if it came with things like immaculate lighting, well-maintained taxi stands, better signage and fit-for-purpose supporting facilities.
Sensible might be the move if the toll were a guarantee that drivers will enjoy the use of facilities like City Gate in Port of Spain. But anyone who has visited that historical terminal recently will observe its sorry state.
City Gate? More like “City Shame.”
Outdated is its infrastructure. Insufficient is its security. Vagrancy is a problem, as are littering and all manner of unpleasant pollution. The terminal cannot even properly accommodate older adults with mobility issues, much less the differently abled.
If the $600 toll is going to be diverted into the coffers of the PTSC, which manages such things, then that might be a worthwhile change. Yet, the fare hike was introduced at Christmas with nary a peep about upkeep.
The last time a government attempted to ride roughshod over maxi-taxi drivers, it did not end well.
Exactly 15 years ago, the Privy Council ruled in their favour in a dispute about a PTSC fee. Millions in damages in that matter were still owed to a maxi-taxi association as of 2024.
Yet, that case, argued by Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, SC, hinged on very specific promises and subsequent expectations.
Today, unless MPs annul the legal notice in the UNC-dominated Parliament, the road to implementation on January 1 seems clear.
When the government reduced the cost of super gasoline in October by $1 per litre, it showed understanding and sensitivity to the people’s needs. It should apply the same approach and rethink this toll hike.