Don't blame us for $1.7M charge

Head of the Maxi Taxi Concessionaires Association Rodney Ramlogan yesterday said Education Minister Anthony Garcia’s claim that drivers are overcharging the ministry to transport school children is reckless and irresponsible.

Ramlogan said the ministry deals directly with the Public Service Transport Commission (PTSC) which keeps strict records on the operations of the drivers. The service is run by PTSC and paid for by the Education Ministry.

“PTSC has monitors that are on the road, making sure that when we submit an invoice, it is for the correct amount and the way the system works, we cannot overcharge them because it is a flat fee that we charge them, we cannot charge more,” Ramlogan said.

In a release on Friday, Garcia said the ministry is carefully examining all invoices submitted by PTSC for payments to the drivers. Garcia was responding to protest action by the drivers on Wednesday at PTSC’s San Fernando Garage.

Garcia said the ministry had been overcharged for October, November and December 2017. He said after a review exercise was done, the ministry was reimbursed $1.7 million.

He said the invoice for payments for January were sent to the ministry by PTSC on April 20 and was being processed.

But Ramlogan said the drivers are now more confused than ever by Garcia’s response.

“They have not said anything about when we will get paid, they have now received January forms and we are in April. We submit claim forms on a fortnightly basis,” Ramlogan said. “They have us confused and trying to understand how he could make a statement like that, it is reckless and irresponsible.”

He said since the drivers began having issues with payments, Garcia has been making excuses and accusations.

“The first time we protested for our salaries, Minister Garcia said we had ghost buses working but up until now, PTSC cannot prove there was ever a ghost maxi. He has excuses for every time he has to make a payment to us.”

He accused PTSC of misleading the ministry.

“If anyone is ripping the ministry off, it is the PTSC because they deal directly with the ministry. The drivers deal with PTSC, we don’t have direct contact with the ministry.”

Even as he said drivers are not going to withhold their services, Ramlogan warned if they are not paid by Friday, they will not have a choice but to stay at home.

“If we are not financially able, then we won’t be able to come out. So we are not going to withhold any service but we will have to see.”