Claxton Bay residents, maxi taxi drivers hold fiery protest

Even though Guard and Emergency Branch (GEB) police responded to disperse their protest on Friday, members of the Green Band Maxi Taxi Association and Claxton Bay residents weren’t fearful of suffering the same fate as protesters in the Queen's Park Savannah, Port of Spain, on January 16.

The maxi-taxi drivers and residents teamed up to burn debris from 5am as they protested over the condition of a portion of the Southern Main Road near Daisy Road in Claxton Bay.

But even though GEB and fire officers responded to clear the debris at 7 am, the protesters were adamant their voices would be heard.

In a video circulating on social media, one protester even dared acting police commissioner Mc Donald Jacob to try to repeat the scenes of January 16, when police used tear gas to break up the crowd.

He said, “If this matter is not fixed, we are going to continue to protest. If it’s not by fire, we’ll protest by the finger.

“I am telling the acting commissioner of police to send tear gas…you will bring tear gas, we will bring natural gas from Point Lisas. You send tear gas, we not backing down.”

protesters were still on the scene when Newsday visited after 10 am as officers kept a watchful eye.

Several protesters were warned to adhere to the public health regulations such as proper mask wearing and not drinking alcohol in public.

Police also filmed protesters and the Newsday team.

One Chaguanas to San Fernando maxi-taxi driver, who asked to be identified only as Dan, called the protest a last resort.

He told Newsday drivers were frustrated with writing letters to the authorities, including the Ministry of Works and Transport, to no avail.

While the road’s condition has been deteriorating over the last several years, he lamented it has got worse in the past year.

“If you notice now, every green band (maxi) now, we running steel rim. I actually burst two rims and tyres on this road in November.

“We running with half- load of passengers already, we done struggling, people not working, people not travelling and money ain’t making...This road costing us. Watch how much it costing us.”

In a statement published on the United National Congress’s website on Friday, Pointe-a-Pierre MP David Lee called the protest a result of the “Minister of Works and Transport’s consistent refusal to adequately repair the Southern Main Road, specifically in the vicinity of Rose Hill Junction, Claxton Bay.”

Lee claims he has “been tirelessly requesting that immediate rehabilitation” and called on Works Minister Rohan Sinanan to “put the country above politics.”

He added, “It is absolutely unacceptable, disgraceful and beyond reason that Minister Sinanan, the minister charged with the responsibility for national infrastructure, has persistently ignored our calls over the last two years to adequately repair one of the most important roads in our entire national road network.

“This is no ordinary road but the Southern Main Road which facilitates thousands each day as well as provides the key route to the Point Lisas Industrial Estate.”

In a press release on Friday afternoon, the Ministry of Works and Transport explained preparation for roadworks in the area has been ongoing.

The release said, “The ministry commenced rehabilitation works along the Southern Main Road 40km mark, Claxton Bay in November 2021. Rehabilitation works were divided into two components.

“The first component included the removal of the existing footpath and construction of subsurface drains. This was necessary to protect the road structure from saturation by water.”

With these works completed, the ministry said the second phase of rehabilitations works which is the main roadworks, will begin on Monday.

The ministry said it will work to complete the repairs in the shortest possible timeframe.

Jacob: GEB officers usual at protests

Contacted for comment, Jacob told Newsday there was nothing unusual about the presence of GEB officers at the protest.

He explained, “It has always been standard operating procedure that the Guard and Emergency Branch is responsible for monitoring protests across TT…that is one of their core role and functions.”

Jacob added that the different divisional task forces are trained as first responders to protests in their districts but GEB officers will be deployed if a protest goes on for a prolonged time.

“If it is a lawful protest, they will ensure people do so in peace. If it an unlawful protest, they will ensure the peace is maintained.”