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Vice
president of the San Juan Taxi Association Francis Reyes,
right, and the public relations officer Kenrick Clarke at
San Juan Taxi Stand, Independence Square, Port-of-Spain,
yesterday. Photo: Jennifer Watson
By
MicheLle Loubon
Vice president of the San Juan Taxi Association Francis
Reyes says inflation and the rising costs of car parts has
caused fares to increase by $1 effective May 26.
Accompanied by public relations officer Kenrick Clarke,
Reyes said: “We feel we have to increase taxi fares
because of inflation and the cost of car parts. “It
is too expensive. We have to live.”
He said a car battery had gone from $800 to $1,300. Front
ends fetched $150 each and a simple bulb went from $10 to
$35, he added.
Clarke added: “Then, you have to pay insurance costs.
If you want genuine parts, you have to cough out your cash.”
Clarke also predicted a domino type effect.
“Once
taxi fares go up in San Juan, it would go up in St James,
Chaguanas, Arima, all over,” he said.
Competition from taxi drivers
Reyes said: “Imagine, they crowd up the line. Sometimes
the legitimate taxis cannot get a place to park. A lot of
people would leave a taxi and go PH.
“They
don’t care if there is a road block and they are found
with drugs or weapons, they will all go down,” said
Reyes.
In Port-of-Spain yesterday, commuters continued boarding
the PH taxis, which outnumbered the legitimate taxis. Both
men appealed to the relevant authorities to deal with the
illegal road users.
“I
feel the police should crackdown on PH drivers. But a lot
of police have taxis,” said Reyes.
Commuters complain
about food prices
Random checks with commuters revealed they were sympathetic
to the price increase.
“Taxi
drivers have to eat, too,” said one woman, as she grabbed
the hand of her daughter and boarded a taxi.
Another woman said she got to her Sea Lots home via a San
Juan taxi.
“What
will you do? They have to eat...food went up. Oil, next
gas. I have to pay for my daughters and I. It’s getting
more ridiculous,” she said.
Anna Joseph, of Ryan Street, San Juan, said $4 was steep
on her budget.
“It’s
going to be difficult. The prices of flour, cheese, and
now eggs went up. It’s tough. But they have to live,
too.”
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