Taxi drivers to push for 25% fare raise

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

The Bahamas Taxi Cab Union’s (BTCU) president says it is seeking a 25 percent fare hike to ease the burden of higher gas prices and soaring inflation.

Wesley Ferguson, its president, told Tribune Business that he informed Keith Bell, minister of labour and Immigration, that the union will formally request a fare rise this week. The notification was given when Mr Ferguson and other union leaders in the Bahamas National Alliance Trade Union Congress (BNATUC) met with the minister last week.

Mr Ferguson said: “We met with the labour minister and that was on the agenda, but that is not a labour matter. The BTCU negotiates directly with the minister for transport [Jobeth Coleby-Davis]; we don’t have industrial agreements. We don’t have contracts or anything like that. We just go into the minister and say what we want directly like that. We’re not under labour because we don’t represent labourers; we represent self-employed people.”

There is a “tentative” meeting scheduled for this Wednesday, Mr Ferguson confirmed, adding that a fare rise can no longer be delayed as gasoline topped $7 per gallon last week.

The BTCU previously held-off on a fare increase to see when gasoline prices would peak, but Mr Ferguson said he and his members cannot wait any longer and will seek relief from the Ministry of Transport now in the hope that there are no further surges in global oil prices.

Comments

Flyingfish says...

Nope, sorry yall done is overcharge.

Posted 13 June 2022, 12:33 p.m. Suggest removal

Proguing says...

I asked my boss for a 25 percent salary increase and he said "No way"....

Posted 13 June 2022, 2:45 p.m. Suggest removal

Maximilianotto says...

Let the market speak. Overpriced and lousy service will resolve by itself.

Posted 13 June 2022, 4:36 p.m. Suggest removal

SP says...

25% increase from what? Taxi's make up rates based on the time of day and what their sweethearts need!

Tourist and everybody else are robbed by taxi's every day. Why can't they have meters like most civilized societies?

Posted 13 June 2022, 9:59 p.m. Suggest removal

John says...

They may get 10-15%

Posted 14 June 2022, 4:52 a.m. Suggest removal

JokeyJack says...

The taxi unions used to strike to help pressure the govt on behalf of the people on various issues. When last they done that? They don't fight for us anymore. No sympathy for them.

Posted 14 June 2022, 8:30 a.m. Suggest removal

Baha10 says...

Rather than worry about further price gouging, the Industry needs to desperately be regulated with matching colored multi-passenger Cars of an identical model type maintained to a certain standard … with Meters.

Posted 14 June 2022, 9:07 a.m. Suggest removal

Maximilianotto says...

Meters? Lol best idea - taxi drivers will scream as no cheating possible any more. Not here!

Posted 14 June 2022, 7:20 p.m. Suggest removal

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