The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas Taxi Cab Union’s (BTU) president yesterday said that changing the “system” at Prince George Wharf is the “first step” towards revamping the industry’s image.

Wesley Ferguson told Tribune Business the union was still working with the government to resolve several outstanding issues, saying: “We are in consultation. They are working with us to resolve some issues, and there are some things that we as taxi drivers have to work on.

“One of the first things we are doing is changing the systems at the dock to prevent drivers from sleeping out there. The dock is a pressing issue for us. That area is about to undergo a transformation, and so we need to ensure that we are conducting our affairs properly.

“We need to present ourselves as legitimate business persons so that when everything comes on stream we can demand what is rightfully ours and not be left behind. We need to demonstrate that we have done our part.”

Mr Ferguson said the union was committed to working in partnership with the ministries of tourism and transport. “We want to move ahead to revamp and revitalise the industry. We didn’t get here in a day, and it’s going to take more than a day to get out of where we are,” he added.

The union met with the Prime Minister in late January after staging a protest in Rawson Square to highlight their concerns. The move had been triggered by the the Ministry of Tourism’s decision to take disciplinary action against drivers at Prince George Wharf, a move he slammed as “unlawful”.

Dionisio D’Aguilar, minister of tourism, said at the time that ministry personnel were simply trying to protect The Bahamas’ brand and improve the overall visitor experience.