By ANNELIA NIXON

Tribune Business Reporter

anixon@tribunemedia.net

The Bahamas Taxi Cab Union is in full support of the government’s voluntary surrender exercise aimed “to encourage the return of plates that are no longer in active use and from which no revenue is currently being collected”.

The Bahamas Taxi Cab Union’s president, Tyrone Butler, said while he believes the exercise is a good idea, he believes “this government is a very reckless government, and they have not shown themselves to be good stewards of the transportation industry”. 

“She’s talking about those franchise that people own, but just not have them on the road,” Mr Butler said. “I haven’t had any direct talks with the minister on the matter, but I gather... she’s talking about the plates that were issued, the franchise that were issued some time ago, and that there is a number of taxi franchise that are out there that the union would love to engage the minister on. But you know, this government is a very reckless government, and they have not shown themselves to be good stewards of the transportation industry... However, I’m in support of the general idea that the government should try to get back as many franchise as possible and have a reissue.

“I have no difficulty with that. I mean, I think the government should have all of the franchise recorded and accounted for and the government needs the revenue. So, yes, I’m supporting of that. But at the same time, for us, it’s more than just those dead franchise or those dead plates that are out there. So we have no problem with that. Right now, that’s not an issue for us. Our issues are not not with that particular part of our ministry. It’s the day-to-day operations. But I’m supporting. If that’s what she wants to do, God bless her.”

Mr Butler said Transport Minister JoBeth Coleby-Davis should first meet with the unions and create pre-qualifying standards.

“Before any additional franchise is issued, they should have some standards,” Mr Butler added. “They should engage with the union to write some pre qualifying standards, and they should have some checks and balance where people franchise could be recalled if they’re not operating in the context of what the law has said. The law says how you should operate your franchise, and if you’re not following those guidelines... listen the industry out there is a mess. I mean, there’s no question about it, but the standards have to be in place. If you’re going to recall franchise, that’s fine. If you’re going to redistribute franchise, that’s fine too. But there has to be some standards. 

“The exercise that they engage in when they issued all those taxi franchise and livery franchise, it was just a handout. It was like just somebody just giving out to any and all free for fall. And right now, there is no standard. Nobody’s being held accountable. So everybody’s out there doing their own thing. And so the minister may want to start with perhaps putting some standards in place before they start engaging and collecting franchise and withdrawing franchise. It’s my opinion that there needs to be some more discussion with the union, because we only could speak for union, for our taxi drivers. But this President will be willing to meet with the Minister of any given time... She’s the minister. She’s at liberty to speak for her ministry and for the ground transportation department. I only can speak for my members, and I can tell you, as the president of the Bahamas Taxi Cab Union, we have a lot of questions that we’d like to put to the Minister.”

During the House of Assembly, Ms Coleby-Davis, while speaking on the government’s exploration “to offer an amnesty or waiver-type solutions” for owners of private vehicles said the voluntary surrender exercise aimed at livery, taxi, tour, and self-drive franchises will aid in “addressing revenue leakage in this area”. 

“For the avoidance of any confusion, it is important to clarify that it is not the intent of the Department to embark on an aggressive collection expedition with respect to outstanding arrears in vehicle licensing and registration,” Ms Coleby-Davis said. “Instead, we are exploring the option to offer an amnesty or waiver-type solution, specifically targeting arrears connected to private vehicles or those used for personal purposes only. This approach reflects a balanced recognition of our duty to safeguard and collect government revenues, while also being sensitive to the financial pressures faced by many individuals and families. Our goal is to encourage compliance in a way that is fair, reasonable, and supportive of economic recovery.

“While the department is considering a more lenient and compassionate approach to arrears associated with private vehicle licences, a different strategy will be applied in respect of revenue-generating licenses—namely those connected to livery, taxi, tour, and self-drive franchises. The Road Traffic Department will begin with a voluntary surrender exercise, designed to encourage the return of plates that are no longer in active use and from which no revenue is currently being collected. This exercise is not punitive, but rather a practical first step toward addressing revenue leakage in this area. More importantly, it will open the door to new entrepreneurial opportunities for Bahamians who are ready and willing to operate within these sectors. By reclaiming and reallocating inactive or dormant franchises, we can create a more fair, prudent, and sustainable system that expands access to economic opportunity and supports broader national development.”