Transport Minister Daryl Vaz toured Buff Bay and Hope Bay in Portland on Friday, accompanied by a team from the Transport Operators Development Sustainable Services (TODSS). They met with taxi operators in a bid to identify a proper taxi stand.
Vaz, who is also the member of parliament for West Portland, said that from his observations it is quite clear that taxi operators in Buff Bay and Hope Bay are quite organised and that their vehicles were kept clean and are in good condition.
The touring party first visited the town of Buff Bay where they met taxi operators to discuss the way forward in identifying a proper taxi operation stand. Following the conclusion of the discussion, a empty lot near the old Lynch Park area was identified as a suitable area to construct a proper parking area for the the operators.
“The first opportunity I have got to come out on the road, and I will be going to all the major townships and smaller districts that taxis ply to see how we can make improvement,” Vaz said. He added that he would work with the taxi drivers and taxi operators to see what can be done. “It is a tall order, but I’m up to it.”
While at Buff Bay, 40 legitimate taxi operators received $2,000 worth of petrol, as a part of an incentive arrangement coined by the MP and president of TODSS, Egeton Newman, who also commended the taxi operators for what he described as their organised structure.
IMPRESSED
“I like what I am seeing and I am very impressed with the level of unity and organisation that I am seeing in Buff Bay. Taxis are parked in queue, while awaiting for passengers, and this is quite orderly. I am hoping that this can be replicated in other parishes,” Newman said.
Spokesperson for the taxi operators, Miguel King, said that they try to operate as a unit and that there is no animosity among taxi drivers in Buff Bay, as they look out for each other.
The touring party went to Hope Bay, in western Portland where they met with taxi operators, who appealled to the MP to find a suitable location where they can operate from, instead of their occupying a tributary area.
“What is impressive to me, and I think that the members of TODSS have seen it as well, is that all the taxis that we have seen are very well-kept. They are very clean inside and outside and I have seen a real remarkable improvement,” Vaz said.
“We have a situation where we have probably 30 to 40 registered taxis and again constraint in terms of space. So you find again that they have to come off the main (main road) and go on the tributary road that leads to other districts. The bottom line is that we have identified a piece of land, which is privately owned. I don’t what the plans are in terms of the timeline for development, but we will pursue that to see if we can use that as a temporary situation.
“But, unfortunately, Hope Bay is right on the sea, and therefore there is not a lot of open land-space available to put a proper taxi stand. So we have to see how we can work something, because obviously the taxi drivers don’t want to be outside of the main traffic of the town, and rightly so,” he concluded.