Princes Town taxi president: Coloured shirts not a uniform

PRINCES Town Taxi Drivers Association president Dennis Jagessar on Thursday maintained that the association has not approved the use of any uniforms for drivers on the Princes Town-San Fernando route.

He made this comment in response to pictures in the media of a group of drivers wearing coloured shirts who claimed to be working this route.

Jagessar told Newsday, "Four of them are members of the association."

He added that the others have not registered yet with the association.

Reiterating that drivers on their stand at Library Corner in San Fernando are posing as legitimate drivers and taking their spaces, Jagessar said, "That's the uniforms that they want to push."

He was concerned that association drivers wearing uniforms could be targeted.

"When you wear a coloured shirt and you put it on the media, you are now attracting the bad elements to come on our stand, to buy a shirt of the same colour and do what they want to do."

At Library Corner, taxi driver Anand Ramroop said he is a member of a group of nine drivers who are wearing coloured shirts to identify themselves as taxi drivers. Clad in a red shirt, Ramroop (who has been working the Princes Town-San Fernando route for the last two years), said, "The initiation behind these uniforms is where Andrea (Bharatt) died, passengers were hesitant to sit down in the vehicles.

"So we came up with the idea and put together a group to help passengers make an easy decision. When they see these uniforms, they feel comfortable to travel Princes Town taxi."

He said the shirts, bought from Detour, cost $130 each.

Ramroop said the group of drivers he belongs to is not one of the rogue groups mentioned by Jagessar.

"We are not one of them. We haven't been taking up any space."

Taxi driver Eric Roberts said, "I support the members who wearing their shirt, because a taxi driver is supposed to have a uniform. They must look different and outstanding to the public."

Roberts claimed drivers have been calling on the association for the last ten years to approve the drivers' use of uniforms. Another taxi driver, named "David," who has been registered with the association for the last 16 years, said, "These guys with the uniforms form their own association. They have their team and there is another team."

He agreed with Jagessar's claim that rogue individuals were threatening drivers on the stand at Library Corner, adding, "That is what everyone having a problem with. We don't have a problem who want to wear uniform or all of that."