By Chantalé Fletcher
NEWLY-formed National Transportation Association (NTA) is calling on Government to defer any fuel price increase until consultation with stakeholders.
The NTA is also calling for:
- The assignment of tax-free status to registered truckers and taxi and maxi owners;
- The repeal of the current route pass system;
- Renegotiation of demerit points system;
- An engineering code of standards for road building; and
- Warranties from contractors on all public roads built.
At the Progressive Empowerment Party (PEP) headquarters in Port-of-Spain on Monday, PEP political leader Phillip Edward Alexander said the association was formed to establish representation for all transportation professionals including maxis, taxis, truckers, small transporters and anyone who made their living through transportation.
Alexander added that the NTA was prepared to stand its ground until the Government deals expeditiously with the issue.
He read from a letter outlining the issues and recommendations from the participating stakeholders that he said would be delivered to Minister of Works and Transport Rohan Sinanan, Minister of Finance Colm Imbert and the Office of the Prime Minister on Tuesday.
The NTA is also calling for Sinanan to apologise to truck drivers for blaming them for the poor road conditions.
The organisation was launched following the announcement from Imbert in Parliament on Friday that super and premium gasoline prices would be increased by $1 and diesel by 50 cents.
Alexander said, “The team, based on the response from the Government, will meet and discuss further measures but there is a deadline for the increase in fuel and that deadline will be met with resistance if the government refuses consultation.”
He said, “If the trucks, maxis, and taxis stand down, nothing will move in Trinidad and Tobago. The public will feel it bad, business owners will feel it and nothing will move.”
Industrial Relations Consultant Stephen Mattison said the group requested a guarantee on road works with respect to the time of repairment and compensation for affected persons who experienced vehicular damages due to the roads.
Assistant secretary of the Trinidad and Tobago Taxi Drivers Network, David Mack also said, “The taxi industry has been through hell. We are in a state of chaotic malfunction right now.
“Many men have lost their livelihoods, banks have taken their vehicles. We are now reorganising ourselves, so to come and drop this big stone, that is looking to wipe out the industry.”
Mack said the public needed to understand that taxi drivers were not hyenas as their families go to the grocery like everyone else, and called for their full support to stand against the Government’s fuel increase.
