Dispute over Chaguanas/Curepe route president, fare price

There is a dispute within the Chaguanas Curepe Taxi Drivers Association as to who is the president, the amount of a fare increase, and when the fare would be increased.

Farouk Ghany, who claims to be the association president, recently announced the fare would be increased from $8 to $10 effective tomorrow because of the latest increase in fuel prices by Government.

However, treasurer Mervin Edwards contacted Sunday Newsday saying that the president, Lester Narine, was out of the country and appointed him as acting president.

He said the new fare was in fact $9, with a $1 increase across the board, and would come into effect on November 1. “If the driver does not have a statement of fares, stamped and signed by whoever is in charge of the association, then people are not obligated to pay the $10, but the normal price of $8, until November 1.”

Edwards said a meeting was held on October 17 where he was asked by the drivers to increase the fare to $10. He said he refused because he believed people could not afford the $4 a day increase with the cost of living increasing and salaries staying the same.

He said Ghany held another meeting with other association members, did not invite him, and held an election. “How can you have an election and just call yourself the president? He is operating out of his jurisdiction.”

However, Ghany said Edwards was invited to the meeting in which he was elected but Edwards said the drivers would have to wait for Narine to return to Trinidad in a few months, and then did not show up.

“They never stand up for the drivers but we gave them a chance. Mervin called a meeting and then said it was postponed. Later we had one and agreed to increase the fare to $10.”

Ghany said he was voted in as president on Wednesday by a majority, 88 members, and the next day he and some of his supporters went to confirm whether or not the association was registered with the Ministry of Legal Affairs. He said it was not and did so immediately. He also expressed concern that the association had been collecting money from members for a long time while it was not a legal entity.