Taxi group calls for truce between cabbies, police

Transport sector leader Edgerton Newman is calling for urgent action to repair what he describes as an “untidy” relationship between the police and public passenger vehicle operators.

Newman, who is president of the Transport Operators Development Sustainable Services (TODSS), raised the concern following last Monday’s disruption to public transportation in some rural areas, saying that although operators have returned to work, longstanding friction with the police remains unresolved.

“Yes, the police have to do what they have to do, but do it in the right way,” Newman told THE STAR. He said the tension was evident even as transport leaders spent Monday morning encouraging operators to return to the roads. He said that while efforts were being made to restore normal service, reports of police seizing some vehicles sent some operators “into hiding” because they feared they could have outstanding traffic matters.

Newman stressed that he was not suggesting that operators should be shielded from legitimate enforcement, but argued that the manner in which some encounters are handled is worsening mistrust between both sides. He also pointed to complaints from motorists who say they have paid traffic tickets only to subsequently discover that warrants remained outstanding.

The tension comes against months of uncertainty surrounding the planned implementation of the demerit point system under the Road Traffic Act. In June, Transport Minister Daryl Vaz announced that the system would become fully operational on October 1, following the expiration of a suspension on September 30. Motorists were urged to settle outstanding traffic matters ahead of its implementation, with Vaz warning that a “zero-tolerance” approach would be taken to traffic violations. Under the system, motorists accumulate points for specified traffic offences, with drivers who reach prescribed thresholds facing suspension of their licences.

But the October 1 implementation has since been delayed. Following an August 28 meeting involving the Public Transport Operators Steering Committee, transport groups and government agencies, it was announced that the system would not take effect until a full revision is completed. The review is expected to incorporate recommendations from the committee along with a public-education programme.

Newman, who participated in the consultations, had welcomed the decision and indicated at the time that planned industrial action was off the table. However, he told THE STAR that concerns within the transportation sector extend beyond the demerit system and that the Government still has work to do.

“This issue has been two and a half years in the making. It is so sad that some persons had to take to the streets for this,” he said. Newman questioned why the October 1 date had initially been announced while issues surrounding the system were still being reviewed.

“The Government needs to step up their game in terms of reviewing the Road Traffic Act and the demerit points and come to us with a report as to where we are.”

Newman also pointed to poor road conditions as another source of frustration, saying greater dialogue is needed with the National Works Agency. He argued that the cumulative challenges facing operators are making investment in public transportation increasingly unattractive.