Maxi taxi owners call on PM to mediate late payment

MAXI taxi owners contracted by government to transport schoolchildren to and from secondary schools are again calling on Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley to intervene in their longstanding problem of late payment for their services.

Yesterday a group from the Maxi Taxi Concessionaires related their difficulties in dealing with late payment of monies by the Ministry of Education. They said they have done their part in providing all the necessary documents yet the Ministry continues to withhold payment for months on end.

The group of owners say they were speaking in the absence of their President Ronald Ramlogan who is abroad. One aggrieved maxi owner, Harold Codrington accused Education Minister Anthony Garcia of “setting them up”. He said for the past five months they have not been paid and creditors are knocking on their doors demanding payment. He related how some members have had their furniture repossessed because they are unable to pay their monthly installments.

He said because they are not being paid in a timely manner they are unable to plan their lives and to properly take care for their families.

Codrington said the maxi taxi owners are providing an invaluable service to the children of the nation and they are being treated with scant courtesy.

“We are transporting the future leaders of this country. We are providing a service to protect children from predators and it is disrespectful how we are bring treated,” he said.

Codrington said he is tired of the excuses provided by the Minister of Education for the late payment of monies owed to them and is calling on the Prime Minister to intervene and resolve the situation once and for all.

Contacted on the situation yesterday, a source at the Ministry of Education told Newsday they are currently processing payments for February and March and payments could be made by the end of this week or early next week to maxi taxi owners. The official said the Ministry of Education is awaiting invoices for the months of April, May and June from the PTSC.