President of the Trinidad and Tobago Taxi Drivers Association Adrian Acosta is calling on the Ministry of Works and Transport to reconsider its new traffic regulations, which were implemented on Monday, at the Freeport, Chase Village, Caroni and Grand Bazaar overpasses.
On weekdays, with the exception of public holidays, northbound drivers along the Solomon Hochoy Highway and Uriah Butler Highway may not go from the south entrance ramp of these overpasses to north exit ramp from 6-9 am.
The new regulations are part of the Traffic Control (Overpasses) order of 2022. People who contravene them are liable to a fine of $3,000.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday on High Street, San Fernando, Acosta lamented the new regulations as an inconvenience to taxi drivers and commuters.
“Most of our drivers at this point in time are using the option to drop off the passengers on the highway and allow them to walk down the flyover to go to their destinations.
Apart from safety concerns, Acosta said commuters aren’t pleased about the extra walk when they are dropped on the highway. During rainfall, commuters can also get drenched.
He said drivers weren’t consulted about the new regulations, nor given sufficient heads-up about its implementation.
[caption id="attachment_935115" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Assistant Secretary of the Trinidad and Tobago Taxi Drivers Network David Mack speaks to the media about the new Highway regulations along the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway, via Freeport, Caroni and Chase Village at Library Corner, San Fernado. Photo by Ayanna Kinsale[/caption]
“We only saw this new implementation through WhatsApp and Facebook…there was no sort of consultation concerning this new restriction.”
Acosta also wants the ministry to clarify why Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC) buses are exempt.
“They are also allowing the PTSC buses to go down the flyover and drop off their passengers. With this, they are putting us taxi drivers at a great disadvantage.
“We want to make a suggestion to the government that they should allow all public transportation to get the same facilitations as the PTSC buses. It is unfair for the government to put something in place where one side of the transportation industry is profiting from it and the other one is being sidelined.”
President of the San Fernando to Curepe Taxi Drivers Association David Mack said he has been inconvenienced by the new regulations.
Mack explained, “At the Freeport and Chase Village (overpasses), we always have passengers who drop short.
“If we have to go down without being able to go across, it will take us a long time to go into traffic and come back.
“And dropping the passenger on the highway, where they have to make their own way down, creates another situation, it is unsafe for them.”
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