School maxi-taxi drivers seek out PM

THE Association of Maxi Taxi School Transport will be taking its complaints over lack of payment of stipends to the St Clair office doorstep of Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, hoping for his intervention.

Association president Rodney Ramlogan said they intend to present Dr Rowley with a letter outlining their issues and requesting his urgent intervention, so the education of some 35,000 students who depend on them for transportation to and from school, would not be compromised.

Ramlogan said that in July, they delivered a similar letter to the PM which was collected by Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi . “We don’t know if the prime minister ever received the letter because this situation has been going on for too long.

“We cannot continue working without pay and the children’s education cannot be held to ransom. We want the PM to intervene and settle this matter once and for all. Both the Education Ministry and the Public Service Transportation Corporation which manages the programme are government run institutions and the PM has to intervene,” Ramlogan said.

For a third consecutive day, school children yesterday struggled to access their education as drivers refused to provide their service. The association has been engaged in strike action since Monday, to protest five months of arrears owed to them for transporting children in various parts of the country, especially in rural areas.

Ramlogan said the ministry owes them between $20 to $30 million. He said the $1.7 figure quoted by Education Minister Anthony Garcia as a settlement, represents only one fortnight’s work for the 350 drivers he represents.