The Tribune

By FAY SIMMONS

TRIBUNE Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

JITNEY operators yesterday warned they will take further industrial action if Friday's meeting with the minister of transport fails to resolve mounting fuel and operating costs have left them unable to earn a profit.

Rudolph Taylor, president of the Bahamas Unified Bus Drivers Union (BUDU), and Harrison Moxey, president of the United Public Transportation Company (UPTC), said the industry had reached a breaking point as rising diesel prices, insurance premiums and maintenance expenses continued to squeeze operators while passenger fares remained unchanged.

The warning came after bus drivers staged what they described as a “sick out” yesterday, with operators gathering to press their concerns with the Government before agreeing to resume services at 3pm.

The disruption was not a formal strike, Mr Moxey said, explaining that drivers needed a day of rest and wanted to demonstrate their solidarity over the financial pressures facing the industry before they meet Leon Lundy, minister of transport.

Mr Taylor said the frustration extended beyond the increase in operating costs, pointing to years of unanswered questions and what he described as a lack of engagement from the Government over the sector’s fixed fares and margins.

He added that the last meeting between his team and the then-transport minister, JoBeth Coleby-Davis, was in 2024, when operators questioned whether the 25-cent adult fare increase granted that year would be followed by incremental adjustments reflecting the cost of living.

“That answer was never given to us, and because of that, over the years, I sort of stepped back because it fell on deaf ears, so to speak,” said Mr Taylor.

He said operators had continued submitting letters and raising their concerns, but the absence of satisfactory answers had fuelled frustration among drivers, owners and franchise holders. “Our demand is not disingenuous; it's one that is needed,” Mr Taylor said.

The operators have previously called for the adult bus fare to increase from $1.50 to at least $2, arguing that the existing structure no longer covers the cost of running their businesses. They have also sought government intervention to ease the burden of fuel and other operating expenses

Mr Taylor said he spent $140 on diesel on Tuesday, receiving 17 gallons, while the price of other essential supplies had also increased.

“Tyres used to be $140. You're looking at $190 now,” he said. “The insurance went up. A bucket of oil was costing you $120 or $130. You're looking at $175 for a bucket of oil. So brakes used to be $40. You're looking at $60 to $70 for four brakes.”

Mr Taylor said the physical demands of the job were also becoming increasingly difficult to sustain, with some drivers working seven days a week. “At the end of the day, our bodies need rest. Just as our machines may need rest, the same thing applies to us,” he said.

Mr Taylor questioned whether drivers should continue working to the point of exhaustion while feeling that their contributions to the public transportation system were not being appreciated.

Mr Moxey said operators have been petitioning the Government for years, and had sent a letter to the Ministry of Finance in June outlining their concerns about rising fuel prices and inflation, but had yet to receive a satisfactory response.

“Given the hardship that has been upon us for so long now, we have reached the point of the straw that has broken the camel's back,” he said.

Mr Moxey described the financial position of some drivers as unsustainable, recounting how one driver earned $126 during Tuesday's traffic disruption but needed to spend about $130 to refuel for the following day's work. “That's a minus $3 running on the road,” he said.

Mr Moxey questioned how drivers and operators could meet their personal financial obligations, including bank loans and mortgages, while facing the same inflationary pressures affecting the wider population.

He also argued that public transportation operators were effectively subsidising commuters by continuing to provide services without fares that reflected their costs.

“For us to continue the way it is would be for public transportation to be subsidising and filling in where the government should be for the public to get to and fro,” Mr Moxey said.

He acknowledged that the industry had its own problems but said operators had united because of the financial hardship they were experiencing.

“The public is not against us on this issue,” Mr Moxey said. “The public is with us, and they think that we are well deserving of it.”

Mr Moxey stressed that yesterday's disruption was not a strike, maintaining drivers had gathered to support one another and draw attention to their circumstances. Services were expected to resume at 3pm, with operators agreeing not to stage further disruptions ahead of Friday's meeting with Mr Lundy.

However, Mr Moxey warned that the industry would not accept an outcome that failed to address its concerns. “If that meeting is not successful, then we believe that we will have to take further steps to make our petition known, and we're prepared to do whatever it takes,” he said.

“We won't say what that may be right now, but we know that we will not sit down idly and just accept something that is not satisfactory to us.”

Mr Moxey said operators were frustrated that a meeting previously expected to take place had not gone ahead as planned, with Friday's appointment established only after further contact.

He said the industry wanted to meet directly with Mr Lundy, who represents the Government on transportation matters, rather than rely on intermediaries.

In a statement yesterday, Mr Lundy confirmed that public bus services would resume at 3pm following discussions with the leadership of the bus owners and drivers.

He said the parties had agreed there would be no further disruption ahead of their scheduled meeting on Friday at 1pm, when they would discuss the industry's concerns and work towards practical solutions.

Mr Lundy said the meeting will address more than rising fuel prices and operators' financial concerns. Discussions would also cover road safety enforcement, adherence to public transportation regulations and codes of conduct, possible adjustments to existing bus routes, and the potential resumption of a pilot programme aimed at creating a more centralised and organised public bus system.

The proposed programme would explore scheduled services, improved route co-ordination and a more reliable transportation experience for commuters, he said.

“Our goal is to address the immediate concerns of the industry, but also to work toward a safer, better organised, and more dependable public transportation system for all Bahamians,” said Mr Lundy.

Mr Moxey said operators have faith that Friday's meeting will take place, but insisted that they were determined to secure a satisfactory outcome.

Mr Taylor, meanwhile, said the industry did not want to disadvantage the public through a strike, but could not continue ignoring the effect of mounting costs on drivers' livelihoods and health.

Asked whether there will be further sick-outs this week, Mr Moxey said yesterday's disruption was the only one planned, adding jokingly: “That depends on what we eat. If the Government want to feed us 50 cents, I think we'll be feeling very well.”