Taxi Drivers Association: Passenger increase long overdue

While president of the TT Taxi Drivers Association Adrian Acosta welcomes the Prime Minister’s decision to allow public transport to operate at 100 per cent capacity from Monday, he thinks the decision comes a little too late.

Dr Rowley made announcement on Friday in the House of Representatives.

Acosta told Newsday on Saturday, “We taxi drivers have been struggling for the past two years to make ends meet. Those (price) increases we did over the years never did nothing for us…that was just to survive.

“We have lost thousands of dollars for the past two years and no one is going to compensate us for that, not even the government.

“Just like everyone else, we are working to maintain our vehicles and have bills to pay.”

He said members of the individual taxi drivers associations will be allows to determine what capacity they feel will comfortable operating at.

Acosta, who is also president of the Chaguanas/San Fernando Taxi Drivers Association, said his association has not yet decided on what capacity they will operate at.

“We have not made any decision on what we are doing as yet concerning the 100 per cent at this point of time, so I don’t want to speak out of timing.”

Regardless of what capacity they choose to operate at, Acosta said all taxi drivers will ensure passengers continue to wear masks.