Maxi drivers plan showdown over Jack's plan to change routing system

Jack Warner has been talking about changing the rules for Maxi Taxis in Trinidad and Tobago. And his plan has upset many Maxi operators who fear that it would hurt their trade.

At the present time there are six designated Maxi-taxi routes with drivers restricted to operating their veihcles only on the routes according to the colour of the band on their taxis. The rules allow a maximum of 5,000 Maxis.

But the transport minister thinks that is discriminatory and has suggested that he intends to remove the restrictions to allow anyone to own maxi taxi. In addition he doesn't think drivers should not be limited to particular routes.

That plan is not sitting well with many drivers who claim that the minister did not have any cosultations on the matter and is only doing this in his attempts to please everyone.

One driver told the Trinidad Guardian. “If you open up the routes, everybody will flock to one place where the work is...Drivers may want to flock to the East-West Corridor. The result is that there will be less maxis working in some areas, but you will still have people travelling there.

Others like the idea because it would give them freedom of movement to work wherever they wish.

They drivers also have a problem with allowing anyone to own a taxi claiming that traxi operators would suffer hardships with an oversupply of taxis

Maxi Drivers are planning a "showdown" with the minister.