EDITOR, The Tribune

Please allow the Taxi Driver’s Grievance Committee to address the following open letter to the Minister of Transport Renward Wells, MP, it is the people’s time.

Dear Minister

With no prejudice intended to anyone, the Taxi ‘Driver’s Grievance Committee is made up of a group of taxi cab drivers who work regularly from the Royal Towers Taxi Stand. We came together as a group to address the issues that are affecting us negatively and to have them resolved peacefully. We took this course of action because of the fact that the Bahamas Taxi Cab Union refused and/or failed to represent our interest, notwithstanding we are members and supporters of the Union.

We started our campaign by way of writing letters to Atlantis Senior Management and the national media. With the help of The Tribune newspaper on April 5, 2016 The Taxi Driver’s Grievance Committee highlighted its concern and grievances that it has with the Atlantis Royal Towers Hotel (eg) the appearance of unfair competition taking place in its ground transportation services against taxi drivers. We thank The Tribune for publishing our grievances this alone may have been the catalyst for Atlantis Senior Management’s decision to meet with a delegation sent by the Grievance Committee, to meet with them (eg) Atlantis Senior Management.

Because of the meetings and debates with the Atlantis management, the Committee found out that Atlantis is in possession of a letter from the Road Traffic Department that authorises Atlantis to have three luxury cars available and ready to serve 24 hours a day and seven days a week. The Committee is of the view that the said letter of Authorisation is not authentic even, though VP Mr Ed Fields said that it is. He, Mr Fields, allowed us to see and read the document.

The Taxi Union never informed taxi cab drivers about this. The purported authorisation was issued in 2004 and signed by then Controller Mr Brensil Rolle.

Taxi Cab Drivers have asked for the Hon Minister to speak to this issue. Notwithstanding that you were not the minister in 2004. Eg. Is the Letter of Authorisation authentic? Is this Authorisation legal? And, when will it expire? It can be interpreted that the Authorisation is being used against taxi drivers.

If the letter of Authorisation is authentic our grievances start with the notion that Atlantis maybe in breach of the three luxury cars authorisation (ie) there were too many times in the past when there were more than three luxury cars parked on the Royal Towers front door and no one in management is enforcing the three luxury cars Authorisation, especially after l0pm but they are enforcing rules on Taxi Cab Drivers 24-7. (ie.) is there a designated parking area for the luxury cars like the one they have for taxi cabs?

This is what taxi cab drivers are complaining about that they are not getting their rightful share of Taxi fares. The town cars and limousine drivers are being allowed to park their vehicles on or near the ambulance parking and other areas near to the Royal Towers front door as possible. This is unfair competition because of the fact that Taxi Cab Drivers do not get this kind of special arrangement from Atlantis (ie) the showcasing of the luxury cars. (eg) the limousine and town cars being seen by their guests as the recommended choice over the taxi cabs. That is our perception.

The other concern is dispatchers, we never ask for dispatchers to be placed on the door at the Royal Towers. This notion of dispatchers is nothing but a smoke screen design to attract attention away from Taxi Cab Driver Grievances (ie) what is the dispatcher’s job description are they in our best interest, who is paying for their services? Why there is no dispatcher schedule at 6am in the mornings when the airport jobs and tours are leaving, why there is no dispatcher schedule at l0pm at the Royal Towers?

Cab drivers are of the view that the sitting President of the Bahamas Taxi Cab Union may have compromised the integrity of our union. When he supported Atlantis’ notion of using dispatchers on the Royal Towers Hotel front door and being quite aware that the Union cannot pay for dispatcher services. Cab drivers are calling it a conflict of interest. We are now looking to move on to further debates with Atlantis.

We will continue to write Atlantis Senior Management requesting to have a meeting with them so that we can move forward on this matter.

We thank you very much.

EDIE DAWKINS Jr

The Royal Towers Taxi Drivers Grievance Committee

Royal Towers Taxi Stand Paradise Island, Bahamas

Nassau

May 27, 2019