The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

A Cabinet minister yesterday said the Government is mulling whether to increase taxi and jitney fares to enable these industries to offset increased costs from rising gasoline prices.

Jobeth Coleby-Davis, minister for housing and transport, told reporters ahead of the weekly Cabinet meeting that the Government was sympathetic to calls for fare increases because these rates have not changed in ten-plus years and are now “hurting” these industries because of growing cost pressures. Any raise, though, may not happen until this summer.

“I had meetings with both the taxi and the bus drivers union, and they raised those issues [fare increases] before the potential increase in gas prices simply because, during COVID, they were shut down and their business flourishes off the economy being open and the movement of people,” Mrs Coleby-Davis said.

“So they’ve taken a big hit to their businesses, and they spoke about a potential increase, or [allowing] them to increase the fees, simply because I think the last time it was done was probably ten or 12 years ago. It’s kind of hurting their business, because inflation goes up and we still have seen the same prices for years.

“So I spoke to my Cabinet colleagues, probably maybe two, three months ago, when I had that initial meeting with them, as I promised, and we decided that I would come back at it this summer because we were just opening up the economy and wanted to see how the revenue flows back into the economy, getting persons back to work, and then potentially having a thought on whether we would increase or allow the increase of their fares.”

Jitney drivers had previously told Tribune Business they would adult fares to increase from $1.25 to $2, while leaving those for children untouched. “I don’t think that discussion was surrounding whether we would agree on what they presented; it was just simply because the Cabinet understood their concerns and what they were saying. But we still have to balance it with the state of the country and the economy now,” Mrs Coleby-Davis said.

The minister said the 50 percent maximum passenger capacity limit imposed on jitney drivers could be relaxed as early as this week. She had spoken to Michael Darville, minister for health and wellness, who said he would address the sector’s concerns imminently.

Mrs Coleby-Davis said: “There is a lot of discussion that takes place. Obviously, the minister of health wants to make sure that he speaks to his counterparts, his colleagues and get an agreed position before he makes announcements. So I think that discussion is happening right now. So, hopefully, they stick to the end of the week that they advised.”