By ANNELIA NIXON

Tribune Business Reporter

anixon@tribunemedia.net

The Bahamas Taxicab Union’a (BTCU) president yesterday said he is “not surprised” that the Government has been blamed for creating the conflict between his members and livery drivers.

Tyrone Butler, responding to comments by former Atlantis spokesman, Ed Fields, that seemingly backed taxi drivers in the dispute with their rivals, said he was made aware “that there was something that they had gotten from the Government without disclosing it”.

“I knew Ed knows that because he and I had crossed paths many times when he was with Atlantis,” he said. “I was always an advocate for taxi drivers so this is not new to me. And I’m not surprised of his comments. I commend him for saying it, but I’m not surprised because he’s been that kind of character who will often speak truth to power.

“He had, in so many words, alluded to us way back then, when we were fighting him at Atlantis, that there was something that they had gotten from the Government without disclosing it. So we knew that there was some information that he had when he was with Atlantis. So I’m not surprised at what he said.”

Mr Fields, who called for the Government to publish the list of beneficial owners of taxi plates, said a 2004 letter written by former Road Traffic Department comptroller, Brensil Rolle, included a “request that Kerzner International [the then-Atlantis owner] consider the placement of a limousine line at the Royal and Coral towers respectively”.

Mr Fields said he expressed concern over the request and agreed to a call-up system if livery drivers waited in a lot and not at the door. Asserting that he does not want to engage in a back and forth with taxi drivers, their union or any other party, Taurian Austin, president of the Bahamas Livery Drivers Union (BLDU), said his members are focused on improving the way they conduct business - especially at locations including the airport and hotels.

“As far as the livery union is concerned, we don’t have any friction,” Mr Austin said. “We don’t have any issues and so we’re all good. And I’ll say this to you: We’re working to improve the way we conduct business at the airport, the hotels, in The Bahamas in general.

“We’re looking at ways to improve that from within. We wish not to get into a war or back and forth with taxis and people that make comments, etc. That’s not our position. Our position is to, in other words, continue to go out and work and do what we normally do, and then when that day comes in time then we’ll deal with it.

“Our focus is trying to improve the way we conduct business, to continue to raise our standards, train our individuals, and make livery a world class, the most trusted source of transportation in this country and, I would say, even beyond this country. I’m talking about worldwide. And so that’s what we’re working on,” he added.

“We’re talking to global partners all over that’s going to help us, and we are consulting with, to create a better industry for us. We’ve had good conversations, good meetings with the Ministry of Energy and Transport, and we remain optimistic that we will be okay. And so I don’t want to get into any back and forth with these guys; with anyone.”

Mr Austin added that his union is open to meetings and talks to discuss matters with the Taxicab Union and the Ministry of Energy and Transport. However, Mr Butler stood firm in his belief that there is nothing to discuss, adding that the Government must make the move to pass legislation that will allow for livery drivers to solicit jobs.

“Willing to go to the table to come to a solution on what?” Mr Butler asked. “What is it he asking us to do? Negotiate an arrangement to allow them to be in a space where they shouldn’t be? That’s not our call. That’s not something that he needs to put to us. We’re not the regulators of the industry. The Government is.

“Why would this taxi union be sitting down with somebody when the law doesn’t allow for them? What is it he wants from the taxi union? Because I could tell you what we want from them. We want them to be out of the environment where we operate; where the law allows us to operate. The law doesn’t allow them to operate in the same space as us. So what is he asking?

“For us to compromise the rights that we have to accommodate them? He’s a friend of mine, but he’s out of touch. He just got into this business. And Tauri, maybe he should take some time to study the whole history of how these livery drivers get to be on the door because had it not been for a disingenuous minister some time back, they would not even be there,” Mr Butler continued.

“And that is what Ed Fields was talking about, where a minister of the Government is giving these property directives to allow these franchises to be on the property. So, it’s not for delivery drivers and the taxi drivers to sit down and talk. It’s for the Government to say enough is enough. We made a mistake, and now we’re going to reverse it until they go to Parliament and pass some legislation and allow them to be out there soliciting jobs.”