Gov’t has given away our taxi rights! – Edmund Maduro
“We can’t let Tom, Dick and Harry… come here and take over what belongs to our children,” Maduro said on the EGM Show which was aired on ZRod 103.7FM last evening, February 7, 2014.
“You see what this government has done?” Maduro asked. “This government has given away our taxi rights.”
Based on the terms of the agreement signed between the National Democratic Party (NDP) Government with the cruise lines, Maduro said NCL is now going to be able to decide who will carry their passengers and he termed this as a discriminatory practice.
“I’m saying to you that under the constitution that is discriminatory, we’re discriminating against our own people,” Maduro added.
According to the outspoken commentator, NCL will be able to choose who they want in preference to local taxi drivers. He added that local taxi drivers are already under a tariff and cannot charge less or more than they currently do. “We don’t know what Norwegian is going to charge anybody,” he complained.
Maduro emphasised that under the Territory’s constitution, every taxi operator has the right to go out and line up one after the other and receive passengers. “Norwegian don’t have no right whatsoever and should never be given that right to say who will carry the passengers. They come here to enjoy our culture and they can’t come here to tell us what to do,” the host continued.
He advised that NCL should manage their ships and leave the land management to locals. “It is ridiculous that we have a government called the NDP that has gone and signed away the right of our taxi gentlemen.”
Maduro suggested that taxi operators come together and challenge the government on the agreements that were signed. “We must get the taxi boys to pull together and get this thing going properly,” he stated, “if we don’t do that we’re in a lot of trouble.”
The show was co-hosted by Rajah A. Smith.
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26 Responses to “Gov’t has given away our taxi rights! – Edmund Maduro”
An approve taxi driver comes from the traffic department not from NCL & DCL. Who the h..l you representing EH? Ayo SICK, HEAD NO GOOD! When you go to a restaurant e.g. Simply Delicious you stand in the damn line and wait. Everybody have a right to fr....ng EAT.
I don't approve of this move and I will campaign hard against it.
Edmond, people don't like your loud mouth but I think you on to something here. Don't let it rest like Sam. Take it to the streets if you have to.
Stop being ignorant. 'Approved' taxi means someone that will sign a contract with the Cruise Line to do the tours that they sell on board. Some people buy tour packages when they buy their cruise tickets and that's what they mean by approved. Many other cruisers take the option of spur of the moment or street deal tours, i.e. they rather take a walk through town and negotiate their own Taxi, rather than paying upfront for it on the cruise. What if you pay for all your tours upfront and when you reach the destination you don't feel like it? Money lost. It's happening right now where certain agents do the 'Cruise Tour' and the other taxi guys do the regular tours. Doing the math, they plan for in excess of 500,000 people to come here. Let's say only half get off, that's 250,000. Let's say half purchase cruise tours, that's 125k to split between the other drivers. These drivers know better and should tell the truth. The only thing you say with sense is line up which is what they do for the other passengers. However, if the cruise line SELLS a tour, they must ensure that the people who will be representing their brand, have proper vehicles and proper services because the people would have pre-paid for their tour. I don't know why things here have to always be about cursing and carrying on. The taxi men need to come clean and explain to the public how the cruise thing works. Every other cruise port has the same arrangement. Here we have Mr. Fahie, The Romney's, Sebastien and I think someone else. They invested in fleets and have agreements with the ship to do the Ship's Tours. The point is, at every destination the Ship sells tours and those tours can ONLY be done by approved Taxi's. All other passengers are free to go with who they want and that's how the other drivers get passengers. Nothing won't be different to how it is already. People here just hate rules.
THANK YOU! Who gives taxi men the right to sit back and automatically make money? That's not fair to all of us here working our ass off for our daily dollar. They barely pay tax and always to the front of the line balling. What to they contribute to the economy? do they give back? tell them haul their ass. Instead of trying to form a proper coalition and approach the liners/government with a proper proposal they up and down talking s#!t.