The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

Jitney drivers say their return to the roads has already become a "battle" with their livelihoods "hanging on a thread" due to uncertainty over proposed fare increases.

Harrison Moxey, the United Public Transportation Company's (UPTC) president, told Tribune Business that the Department of Road Traffic was already telling some drivers to "come off the road" because their buses were not licensed - even going to far as to confiscate license plates.

He said this contradicted his understanding of the government's COVID-19 emergency orders. Mr Moxey argued that vehicle licensing had been suspended for as long as the pandemic emergency lasted, with drivers granted a 60-day period beyond its expiry within which to regularise their vehicles.

"To my understanding the controller of road traffic (Bradley Sands) had a squad from his office downtown on Friday morning, and service was interrupted for some folks with the busses not being licensed and some were told to come off of the road," he added.

"Clearly, it doesn't seem like the prime minister is being respected by the controller, and I think he is taking that title a little too seriously. We have experienced enough hardship to now have to endure unnecessary pressure.

"We are operating at about 20-30 percent capacity and it is not sufficient enough to sustain us to be on the road right now, but we are doing the best we can and we hope for things to pick up going into the weekend," Mr Moxey said.

"Starting a fresh week on Monday, we hope to see better results. We are hanging in there and we are holding on by a thread, and that is why it is important for us to not have unnecessary disruption in our service at this time."

Carl Bethel QC, the attorney general, said previously in the Senate that he would look into complaints by motorists - as well as jitney drivers - that they are being stopped by the police and the authorities over expired vehicle licences when the emergency orders will still in effect.

He suggested that the licensing "waiver" was in part implemented because persons were unable to renew their vehicle insurance when that sector was under COVID-19 lockdown. However, the insurance industry has subsequently re-opened while the Road Traffic Department has been open for much of the pandemic as an "essential service".

The Ministry of Transport and Local Government, in a press release on Friday, described suggestions of an imminent jitney fare increase as "rumours" and that the charges remain the same.

The sector is seeking a 60 percent increase in adult fares from the present $1.25 to $2, while maintaining those for senior citizens and children at the present level. The rise in margins is designed to compensate for lower passenger volumes.

Mr Moxey said: "We did not get any word back on the fare increase as yet, so I cannot speak to that until I have official communication from the Prime Minister's Office because that it where we made our proposal - to the minister of finance (K Peter Turnquest) and to the prime minister, and also copying transport."

As for the action being taken against jitney drivers, he added: "The police department is down here and they are not taking any stance against people that may not be licensed.

"As long as you have your insurance, and you have your valid driver's license and public service license, as that pertains to the emergency order, you should be good to go."

"But this seems not to be the case with the Road Traffic department as some of the plates were screwed off some of the busses, so I spoke to the police officers that are downtown and they are not booking anybody," Mr Moxey continued.

"I understand that there may be some other infractions that may have caused others to have to come off of the road, and that I am still looking into. I had a call from somebody who has insurance and everything on the vehicle except for it being licensed, and their service has been disrupted.

"So I am here trying to see first-hand what is happening. I have tried to reach the minister of transport by telephone but I have not been able to get him. We need some intervention and some clarity on this matter.

Mr Moxey reiterated that his understanding of the emergency order "is that licenses from March 17 are suspended during the emergency order and 60 days thereafter. The prime minister has further extended the executive order to the end of July, and so that would be 60 days from there and that would put us even into September.

"But right now here we are, two days into coming back on the road while experiencing great hardship, and we are already in a battle. We did not get the increase in fares that we have requested and people are just trying to make a living right now. This, right now, is unbearable."

"We need the minister for transport, we need the prime minister or somebody, to intervene, to tell the controller of road traffic exactly where he should stand on this because right now we are very frustrated and we are within our rights and we are not going to take it."