Strategy of the century

THE EDITOR: Much too often our maxi-taxi operators face the barrel of the gun as they strive to provide for their families and to maintain a smile on the faces of their loved ones.

Law enforcement officers would do well to heed the call made by the president of the Route 2 Maxi Taxi Association, Linus Phillip, to carry out random but regular stop-and-search exercises on buses along the Priority Bus Route in order to curb the incidence of robberies.

This is a strategic move. The police may turn up empty-handed for many weeks but they must be persistent and not terminate the operations. Phillip’s concept is to have maxi robbers regard their practice as being unsafe and risky.

There are numerous instances in which the lawless were compelled to revert to the lawful path because of risky encounters. One perfect example is the case of “John Doe,” an electrical contractor. John was also a part-time driving instructor who used his private vehicle as a taxi at night, but all John’s driving documents including his driver’s permit had expired many years ago.

“Tragedy” struck as he was returning home from a function with his wife in east Trinidad one Saturday about 2 am. His car was stopped by police in a roadblock near Piarco junction and when asked to produce driving documents, he had nothing to show, claiming he left them all at home.

John was clearly in breach of traffic regulations as his licence sticker that was visible to the police had long expired. But it was John’s lucky night as the superintendent in charge of the operations was his close friend for many years.

Although the driving instructor was not charged with any offences his problems were not over as he had information that there were more roadblocks ahead and they lived in the far west. As they drew closer to Port of Spain John said he became filled with tension and fear and decided against proceeding further. He parked along the roadway with the bonnet raised to signal a breakdown situation, resuming the homeward journey at 5 am when they felt the “heat” has subsided.

John commenced the regularisation process of his documents early next Monday morning and vowed never again to be in that situation.

The term risk, as we know it, denotes the probability for loss or occasions where one’s well-being or safety cannot be guaranteed. It would be therefore rational to conclude that when one is faced with a risk that situation is sure to bring about a good degree of behavioural modification.

The president is the Route 2 Maxi Taxi Association was on point when he called for random but regular searches of maxi-taxis to curb maxi robberies on the Priority Bus Route. That action would certainly generate a considerable degree of risks for maxi robbers.

Whenever the National Security Minister heeds the advice of Phillip, and I am confident he would, it would no longer be business as usual for bus route bandits. An appreciable sense of safety and relief would be enjoyed by both maxi-taxi operators and commuters, all attributable to the positive effects of this deterrent. The minister must apply this principle to put a clamp on the non-ending drive-by shootings which occur off the Priority Bus Route.

Thanks go out in advance to Minister Edmund Dillon as it is anticipated he would give priority to the security concerns of maxi-taxi drivers operating along the Priority Bus Route to avoid a recurrence of what had taken place but maxi-taxis in other routes should be monitored as well.

It may be necessary to have an emergency response unit in place in the event of a robbery on any passenger bus, large or small, operating on any route in the country. It’s all in the name of preventing bloodshed and making the country a safer and better place to dwell.

DAVID C O’NEAL via e-mail