The Tribune

By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas Taxi Cab Union has flatly rejected any partnership with ride-sharing giant Uber, with union president Tyrone Butler saying the proposal was “not something that was welcome” by taxi drivers.

Mr Butler said the union was approached last year by a representative of Uber as part of broader discussions on modernising the taxi industry, but the idea was decisively turned down after being put to the membership.

“We entertained it, but it’s not something that people are open to at this time,” Mr Butler said. “Uber was willing to use the services of taxi drivers, and even that didn’t find favour with our members.”

He said the union held several meetings and formally presented the proposal to drivers, but it was “soundly rejected”.

While acknowledging that ride-sharing is “a common thing that’s growing in some countries”, Mr Butler said the model is not currently workable in The Bahamas because of existing laws and insurance requirements.

“In The Bahamas, the ability to do that is not where it needs to be, because you can’t use your private vehicle to transport persons,” he said. “You, as a private citizen who has a vehicle that has regular passenger insurance, you cannot use that vehicle. Only a public service vehicle that carries a certain liability can do that.”

Mr Butler said people who operate outside those requirements — whom he described as “hackers” — have been reported by the union.

He added that many licensed taxi drivers have instead turned to technology on their own terms, developing mobile applications that offer services similar to ride-sharing platforms.

“We have a lot of taxi drivers that have created apps for persons who want to do something similar,” Mr Butler said.

Addressing concerns over pricing, Mr Butler said public reluctance to use taxis is often driven by perception rather than reality, stressing that fares are set by the government, not drivers.

“Taxi fares are regulated by the government. They set the rate, not the taxi driver,” he said, adding that drivers may only charge additional fees for extra stops or additional passengers.

“A lot of people seem to think that because you get a ride share, in most cases it’s cheaper,” he added. “The person doing the ride share, they don’t have to carry any liability. For them, anything, even if it’s ten dollars, that’s more than perhaps what they would have got.”

Mr Butler also raised concerns about competition with livery drivers, particularly at major transportation hubs.

He said there is a “hustle” taking place at locations such as Lynden Pindling International Airport and Atlantis Resort, where livery drivers and taxis operate side by side.

The union has long maintained that livery drivers should not be stationed in areas designated for taxis and insists that such practices are illegal.

Mr Butler said the matter was raised directly with the Prime Minister, who agreed the situation should not continue.

“He agreed that they ought not be operating in that fashion,” Mr Butler said, adding that the union has “not gotten any redress on that”.