It's business as usual at City Gate, the main transit hub in Port of Spain, following a showdown on Wednesday between maxi taxi operators and the Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC).
The taximen refused to work to protest a decision by the government to legalise PH taxi operators, claiming that the Transport Minister, Jack Warner, had not held any consultations with them on the matter.
The taximen refused to work to protest a decision by the government to legalise PH taxi operators, claiming that the Transport Minister, Jack Warner, had not held any consultations with them on the matter.
Warner has refuted that charge, stating that he is the most accessible person. In any case he said the taxi operators should not hold commuters to ransom.
On Thursday Warner spoke at a function at the PTSC's training centre where the corporation announced that it had approved a decision to regularise over 120 employees of PTSC who had been holding acting positions for a number of years.
Warner said he will consider a rotation of maxis on the Priority Bus Route (PBR). He said no group should have use of the PBR "for life", noting that no one has the "divine right" to do so.
"Nobody in this country has a divine right to anything. The only thing you have a divine right to is the grave. There is a belief that these maxi-drivers who have been given permission to use the Bus Route, have permission to do that for life. That's the wrong thing," he said.
"Every year a new group would be allowed to use it. Those who use it last year, won't have permission this year, and those who use it this year won't have permission next year and so on. Everyone would have a chance to use the Bus Route. Nobody has a divine right to that," said Warner.
Warner also blamed the former government for his decision to legalise "PH" taxis. He said the last administration prevented individuals from obtaining taxi licences, which led people to operate PH vehicles.
On Thursday Warner spoke at a function at the PTSC's training centre where the corporation announced that it had approved a decision to regularise over 120 employees of PTSC who had been holding acting positions for a number of years.
Warner said he will consider a rotation of maxis on the Priority Bus Route (PBR). He said no group should have use of the PBR "for life", noting that no one has the "divine right" to do so.
"Nobody in this country has a divine right to anything. The only thing you have a divine right to is the grave. There is a belief that these maxi-drivers who have been given permission to use the Bus Route, have permission to do that for life. That's the wrong thing," he said.
"Every year a new group would be allowed to use it. Those who use it last year, won't have permission this year, and those who use it this year won't have permission next year and so on. Everyone would have a chance to use the Bus Route. Nobody has a divine right to that," said Warner.
Warner also blamed the former government for his decision to legalise "PH" taxis. He said the last administration prevented individuals from obtaining taxi licences, which led people to operate PH vehicles.
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