Taxi drivers feel repercussions of Bharatt's murder

Taxi drivers have already begun to feel the repercussions of the discovery of Andrea Bharatt’s body after she was last seen getting into what appeared to be a taxi in Arima on January 29.

Bharatt, 22, a clerk at the Arima Magistrates’ Court, was found dead at the Heights of Aripo on Thursday, after six days of intense searches.

Police confirmed that the car she got into carried a fake H licence plate.

On Friday taxi drivers said the event has left passengers "sceptical" and all drivers are now feeling the effects. Newsday spoke to several taxi drivers, who said the only way for travellers to regain their trust in private drivers is through new policies and laws that would cut down on criminals posing as taxi drivers to lure victims.

Nicholas Paul, a private-hire (PH) taxi driver on the Port of Spain to Chaguanas stand, said the news of the murdered court clerk had mostly affected private drivers there. He said regular customers had refused to take any private cars on Friday morning.

“It’s affecting the drivers who actually working and those looking for work. There are passengers who would travel with us and they’re acting frightened now. They’re passing us and taking the H taxi.”

He said the drivers on the stand are discussing plans to create an "official" private cars association, all of whose members would be given stickers and matching jerseys.

Paul said, “This is to differentiate us from the intruders. But right now we’re waiting for the leader of the group to say how we can come up with the money to organise jersey and stickers, because the way how things are slow, we’ll take a month to get this done.”

Licensed taxi drivers called on the government to completely phase out P taxis. The drivers said after the murder of Ashanti Riley, 18, at the end of last year, female passengers have become very wary, especially when travelling at night.

H-taxi driver Richard Richardson told Newsday passengers on the Port of Spain to Arima route travelled as normal on Friday after the news of the murder of Bharatt.

“This is only for now, but soon I expect passengers to act weird and suspicious, even with H cars also, especially young ladies, and I not giving them wrong.”

Richardson, a taxi driver since 1984, said the government must move to ensure all H taxis drivers are legal. He said, “While they (the government) can’t stop P cars, they can charge passengers for aiding and abetting by going in these private cars.”

Celestino Charles, a part-time taxi driver on the Arima stand, said he is concerned about the effects that will follow.

“Any time these things happen, it affects all drivers.

"I used to work taxi and I know that girl. I used to see her when I work on the Arima stand. It’s sad.

"I think private (PH) drivers should have a code on their cars so it can be displayed as an ID.”

Charles also urged women to be vigilant and follow their instincts.

One passenger seen standing on the San Juan taxi stand for over ten minutes told Newsday she will never use a private taxi again. She said she is saddened by the news of Bharatt and at the age of 74 she’s not prepared to take any chances.

She said, “When people do these things (murders), they drop from a cow; they can’t be from a mother…I'm not travelling with P cars again, I've seen and heard too much.”

Drivers on the St Ann’s taxi stand said their business had not been affected. One said, “Everyone is close-knitted and we know our passengers and they know us, so we weren't affected by what happened. We share licks on this stand, so no one will come here posing as a fake taxi driver.”