By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

TRANSPORT and Housing Minister JoBeth Coleby-Davis said yesterday taxi fare rates would be increased by early summer.

Her comments came during a press conference about the Taxi Industry Service Improvement Programme, a collaboration among stakeholders, including the Bahamas Taxi Cab Union (BTCU) and the Bahamas Hotel & Tourism Association (BHTA).

“The Taxi Union has been advocating for some time for a fare increase,” Mrs Coleby-Davis told reporters. “Even with people getting their own taxi, they’re still not seeing the benefit so much as they would wish to see because of the cost of living rising. And so, we just sat together internally to find a way to bring it all under one umbrella and make sure it works for all.”

“The draft (bill) is being created. It goes to the Attorney General’s Office. Once they sign off and approve it, then we’ll have it gazetted and (we would) bring into effect those fares. And so, like I said, we’re hoping to have that early summer, and it shouldn’t take that long.”

Mrs Colbey-Davis did not say how much the rate would increase.

She said her ministry’s efforts to improve the taxi industry include implementing a Code of Conduct & Service Standards for taxi drivers.

She said officials have created an app, “Rate Your Ride,” to help manage fares.

“That’s going to help to survey and rate our taxi drivers,” she said. “But it also helps to manage the fares that people are being charged because the app would have indication embedded in them on what the rate should be or an idea closely related to what it should be.”

For his part, Wesley Ferguson, president of the BTCU, said his relationship with Mrs Colbey-Davis has improved since he called for her to resign a few months ago.

“We had a lot of issues and concerns as she came into office, and we were promised that they were going to be addressed, and somehow we were sidetracked,” he said. “So right now, we are back on the right track and so now the relationship has been repaired. And we are now happy to work hand-in-hand in partnership with the minister.”

Mr Ferguson said taxi drivers have recently been making decent wages because of high tourist arrivals. He said a fare rate increase would help them make a profit.