The Tribune

By ANNELIA NIXON

Tribune Business Reporter

anixon@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas Livery Drivers Union (BLDU) yesterday said it will no longer engage in a public war with its taxi cab rivals, adding that it will continue operating “business as normal” despite the latter’s threats to withdraw services and escalate their long-running dispute.

Taurian Austin, the BLDU’s president, dismissed the latest accusations from the taxi union, noting that livery drivers have made their position clear and will not be drawn into further exchanges. “We are done, done, done, done responding to taxis and these accusations from taxis,” Mr Austin said.

“We will not continue. Whenever Tyrone [Butler] opens his mouth or does something, he wants us to respond. I think we’ve responded enough to tell you our stand that we’re not interested in what taxis are saying. We’re not interested in what they are doing. We will continue to move forward and work as we usually do.”

Mr Austin said his union has no intention of allowing the the Bahamas Taxi Cab Union (BTCU) dispute to distract its members from serving customers.

“We are done in the back and forth discussions with taxis,” he added. “We will continue to operate the way we have been doing for the past 20-plus years in the space that has been provided for us. I will continue to conduct business as normal. We will not lower ourselves to keep going in this back and forth with the taxi union.”

Mr Austin’s comments come as the BTCU intensifies pressure on the Government over what it alleges is illegal competition from livery operators at the Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) and some hotels.

Mr Butler, the union president, has warned that operators are prepared to withdraw their services and “cause whatever chaos in the tourism industry” if authorities fail to enforce transportation laws that the union argues reserve the right to solicit passengers at the airport and hotels exclusively for taxi drivers.

The taxi union has also placed the matter under the leadership of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), which has warned that continued conflict between transportation providers risks damaging The Bahamas’ tourism product.

Mr Butler has argued that repeated meetings with government officials have failed to produce meaningful action, and said the union was prepared to escalate demonstrations and industrial action, including parking its vehicles and suspending service.

The dispute intensified earlier this month when taxi drivers temporarily blocked access to LPIA’s international departures terminal in protest over what they described as the Government’s failure to prevent livery operators from illegally soliciting passengers without prior bookings.

Following that demonstration, transport minister Leon Lundy pledged reforms. However, the taxi cab union has maintained that progress has been insufficient.