Episode Transcript
[00:00:01] Speaker A: The best insight, instant feedback, accountability. The all new Talk Radio Freedom 106.5 and on the line with me this morning is Dolores Martin, the pro for the route to Maxi Taxi Association. Hello, good morning.
[00:00:17] Speaker B: Good morning, sir.
[00:00:18] Speaker A: Good morning. How are you this morning?
[00:00:20] Speaker B: I'm fine. And good morning to the wider community of Trinidad and Tobago.
[00:00:24] Speaker A: Let me say good morning. Going out to Frosty. You all know Frosty and of course the Brenton Knights. These are people that I, I interact with and speak with from time to time and of course to you.
We seeing that other areas Maxis have been returning, we seeing a split but the Route 2 for some reason decided not coming. We did see yesterday that a few Route 2 maxi taxis were operating very far and in between, you know what is the association stand this morning? What happened in that meeting that caused you guys to ramp up your actions and continue with your three day strike?
[00:01:00] Speaker B: As the RUTU and the others came out of the meeting last night, we were told that there were no resolve in none of the RUTU issues.
So the membership mandated the president to continue the rest and reflect into today to see if he could get some sort of resolve from the minister because he's not budging on most of the our issues.
[00:01:28] Speaker A: All right, just for the benefit of those that are not certain what you all are asking for because I had a caller this morning felt that it was a bit unreasonable while you're really asking for. So can you just reiterate a few of those points really quickly that you all were looking to the minister to address that was not addressed by the former administration.
[00:01:48] Speaker B: We were looking to address things like the next of kin which a lot of people don't know is the issuing of transferring our bus TBR pass to the next of kin of somebody who has been deceased.
Therefore some of these people they might back up for months.
And we have been hearing the same thing over and over from the minister that he's working on it. And as we speak today there is no reserve whatsoever for most of the people who have been waiting for over two years for next second, maybe more.
[00:02:27] Speaker A: So what I wanted to ask you the next of kin before we go forward quickly, the next of kin issue is only when somebody passes away. What if a person gets a stroke, they sick and they cannot ply the trade. Is it that you all are asking for a transfer for instances like that as well or is it just a situation where the person passes on?
[00:02:47] Speaker B: We asking for things like that.
Excuse me, excuse. Because in the past we were getting nuts and it they were transferring to people who, if their family was sick or dying, you know, they were. They. They actually were transcending PBR Pass.
[00:03:13] Speaker A: They were in the past.
[00:03:15] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:03:15] Speaker A: How far back, you know, going Is it within the last administration or years before that? So under Rohan Synanon, they did do the transfer if the person died, yes. Really? So you all got that?
[00:03:27] Speaker B: Okay, we got some of that, yes.
[00:03:29] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:03:29] Speaker B: And also in. I want to go a little bit further.
Just before UNC came out of power in the last administration, we got an amnesty under Sewage Rambachan.
[00:03:44] Speaker A: An amnesty pertaining to what?
[00:03:46] Speaker B: Same PBR chances.
[00:03:50] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:03:52] Speaker B: Right. So we did get some. Some address at that time, but now we're not getting nothing at all. All of a sudden, that change.
[00:04:01] Speaker A: All right, so. Okay, so under the People's Partnership administration, you all got some reprieve.
[00:04:10] Speaker B: Yes, we did.
[00:04:11] Speaker A: During the PNM's tenure under Rohan Synanon. Because I remember speaking with Brenton and Knights, and he told me that on the same program that they were looking into issues like that with the transfer of passes, because I'm seeing it on. Coming up again as something that was not addressed. So is it that when this administration came on board, they stopped the transferring of passes to necks of kin if somebody dies or is or have been rendered unable to continue the trade, did that happen?
[00:04:44] Speaker B: Right. Right now, that has happened under this Mr. Zakura, Eli, it has gotten even worse.
[00:04:51] Speaker A: So let me keep clear, because I don't want nobody come back and say the route to Maxi or the Maxi drivers on them on. On. Nonsense.
Rohan Cinen gave you all the transfers,
[00:05:03] Speaker B: one or two years on the next of kin.
[00:05:05] Speaker A: One or two. There were still others outstanding.
[00:05:08] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:05:08] Speaker A: So not everybody get it. Okay.
[00:05:10] Speaker B: No. When they. When they were there. Coming on to the late part, a lot of people who have been waiting on that list for Nexican for more
[00:05:19] Speaker A: than two to three years under the Rohan Synon. So he didn't address everything. He addressed a handful. Okay, so we got a handful. And I'm happy that you mentioned that because he gets some lashing this morning for the audacity of speaking about the Maxi Taxi Association.
Concerns are not frivolous. What else are you all. And you said when Eli Zakur. Eli. Came into power, into governance under the Ministry, he revoked those things.
[00:05:47] Speaker B: I would not say revoked. He said he's working on it.
[00:05:50] Speaker A: So why he didn't continue it? He just stop it.
[00:05:52] Speaker B: Just so it's taken very long.
[00:05:58] Speaker A: All right, let's move forward.
All right, Moving forward. Now you all get A little reprieve under the last administration. Zakuru come and he say he stop it. You're looking at it again to see how we can fix it and. All right. What else are you all asking for? New Route 2.
[00:06:12] Speaker B: We asking for proper hubs.
[00:06:14] Speaker A: Proper hubs? Where, where you don't have hubs.
[00:06:16] Speaker B: Like, like, like. Like how City Gate is in our mess.
We have been asking for them to come in and actually you know, fix up City Gate.
Also the Grande harbour that is in total mess and shambles.
No toilet facilities.
There are a lot of pigeon drop ins in that area there.
Also they have a lot of cars that parks there and disturb the drivers from flying the train freely.
Also in Arima we have no hub. So we tried to see if we could get something in Arima to make the drivers comfortable.
[00:07:02] Speaker A: Where in Arima you all are looking to earmark a property or space for the hub?
[00:07:07] Speaker B: We haven't spoken about that as yet. But right, right now we trying to see if we could get it because Arima is in a total mess as we speak.
[00:07:16] Speaker A: But, but, but I was told there was a spot air marked so that's why I'm asking as the public relations officer to get some insight. But okay, so we're protesting for a spot but we don't have a spot. We don't have an idea.
[00:07:27] Speaker B: I'm not saying that. I'm saying that I am not sure.
[00:07:30] Speaker A: Okay as yet.
[00:07:31] Speaker B: But I know the association is looking into different places in Arima.
[00:07:36] Speaker A: All right, what else? So we talk about the. The transfer of passes which I think is a very.
A great necessity because I mean the buses, the price you all have to pay. The banks at the end of the month range from anywhere I was told from 1819 to 25 000amonth. You all are paying for some of these buses in mortgage. All right. Mortgage payments and the bank don't want to know. Well you know we ain't getting bush should pass yet. We the bank them coming back for the thing. All right, cool. Got that Maxi taxi hubs. What else if any at all on the docket again that you all.
[00:08:08] Speaker B: Yeah, there is a lot more things on the dockets.
[00:08:11] Speaker A: Give me one more
[00:08:14] Speaker B: right now. I just kind of flustered it because I didn't too long.
[00:08:17] Speaker A: That's okay. That's okay.
[00:08:19] Speaker B: Yeah but.
[00:08:22] Speaker A: But when you all met with the, with the minister, you all were unsatisfied with his response and you all do see the need to give him more time.
[00:08:32] Speaker B: Okay. I was not in the meeting. The meeting was at the level of the AMTTP.
Right. So that was the executive of the AMTTP. I am just the payroll for the Route 2 Association.
[00:08:44] Speaker A: Got it? Got it. All right. I want to thank you for your for telling me what happened. So this morning how you all feel, you know, was the association's position seeing that Maxis there are some drivers still saying coming out and and flying the trade.
[00:09:01] Speaker B: Well, it is very disturbing to see that some of our very comrades who comes upstairs to ask for things to be done and who are very voicious when they are not getting things daily actually came out apply their trade on yesterday. You know, even if we had asked for three days I think that even if we had gotten a full, full, full hundred percent support from everybody, it would have actually sent a better message.
Right, but you know, in everything it will have the ones who will want to do whatever they want to do,
[00:09:36] Speaker A: you know, but they can argue, they can argue that. Listen, while I agree with the association I still have my bills to pay. I still have a mortgage, my maxi park up or my 4 maxis dong I can't get nothing going. They might that could be an argument as well.
[00:09:50] Speaker B: All of us have bills to be. Every single one of us have our bills to pay and sometimes we our vehicle shut down for three, four, five days and we still have to come back and pay our bills. So one day at least would not have hurt a lot of them.
And another point to note, the government opened the bus route, right?
And because we didn't work yesterday. But they have made the problem even worse because the bus route is congested with traffic this morning. Plus it has people who work in PH on the bus route since yesterday.
[00:10:27] Speaker A: Well, in a national crisis and in a national crisis like this, I think those PH drivers will capitalize. I mean the bush was open to light motor vehicles and I mean the impact was phenomenal. Commuters were left stranded, you know and the thing about it is you're still seeing those cut finances was was to assist the pay because I remember there were some people in some yellow and not yellow, white and black uniforms, white shirts, black uniforms, black pants.
[00:10:57] Speaker B: Sorry, that's the csrs and these csrs I could only speak on what I know but it was a handful of guys who went to court and a lot of other drivers who signed petition to have that dollar removed which in my humble opinion that should not have taken place recently.
[00:11:14] Speaker A: I noticed when you all are when certain Maxis not all because sometimes, you know, for research purposes and other reasons I would Jump in a maxi from here and there because I live in the east. Coming to Port of Spain, it's something easier. $10 and I in town and $10 and I'm back home.
I would observe that departing City Gate, you all would stop and pay somebody at $2 some instance, $3 some maxi don't pay at all. It is just passing people straight. I would see Brenton there and other persons from time to time there collecting. What is that? A legal collection.
[00:11:47] Speaker B: What is that for what we are, what we are doing? Because according to the Privy Council court matter back then it was against PTSC because they said that our competitors not supposed to be, you know, in charge of us, plus the government supposed to provide a stand and they put us in there. Right. But this is the association, it never said anything that the association not supposed to, you know, generate funds for the association.
So that's why sometimes you would pass and see us collecting the $2 to go out.
[00:12:26] Speaker A: To go out.
[00:12:27] Speaker B: Yes, yes. Nice to do the upkeep and upgrade of our facilities for our drivers.
[00:12:32] Speaker A: What have you all upgraded so far? Following the, you know, failed committal coming from the former Minister back in 2019, what have you all done so far in City Gate? This is for. This upgrade is for the passengers, commuters rather, or for the drivers. What was there before that you all have upgraded now?
[00:12:53] Speaker B: We have not really done anything on the base as yet, but we are at this present time here. We trying to generate enough capital and revenue to do the fixed subsidies for the passengers and the members.
[00:13:10] Speaker A: So there has been no improvement for members so far.
[00:13:14] Speaker B: What we did an improvement like we had the canteen open.
[00:13:17] Speaker A: You have a canteen?
[00:13:19] Speaker B: Yeah, we have a canteen. We have put AC into the canteen after how much more than 20 years to make the drivers comfortable.
[00:13:28] Speaker A: Toilet facilities, I would imagine the toilet
[00:13:31] Speaker B: facilities, we, we, we tried to bring that to our standard so they would also be comfortable when they use the toilet facilities.
[00:13:38] Speaker A: Does Route 2, Maxi Taxi association or Route 2, excuse, hubs.
Route 2, which is Port of Spain, Arima Grande. Do you all have touts? Do you all encourage touts?
[00:13:51] Speaker B: We don't encourage touts, but there are touts around. Not in the hub, but like in Arima, where we have open space roadway. There are towers that operate in the Arima area.
[00:14:04] Speaker A: What about the situation where Maxis would take up passengers, say they're going short reach Europe, drop off passengers and then drive a foot further down and pick back, pick up passengers again and continue the route to Port of Spain. How have you all addressed Those issues. And.
[00:14:19] Speaker B: Okay, that was an issue and that is a thing of the past.
[00:14:23] Speaker A: Okay. So that is.
[00:14:24] Speaker B: No, I don't. I don't know if you can remember it at a time. The boss should be packed with people.
A lot of people in the morning time.
[00:14:32] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:14:33] Speaker B: Because drivers actually used to do those things. The president, Mr. Linus Phillip, he collaborated with the ministry and they started to take away pass and put them on suspension for like about three to six months.
[00:14:47] Speaker A: Beautiful. So that has been discontinued because I still notice maxis, it's as though they create a subhub in Kirep and in San Juan.
[00:14:59] Speaker B: We didn't create that. We were given a stand from Kira to Palestine by the ministry and from San Juan to Arima.
[00:15:08] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:15:08] Speaker B: We lobbied for that and we got that.
[00:15:10] Speaker A: So some maxis can either go to San Juan and solicit passengers from there to Arima, or they can choose to come down to Kirap. But you cannot take up passengers from Arima, drop them off in Europe and then go on east, stand and pick up passengers again, the same passenger may have to come back in a maxi to go down to Port of Spain paying double the price. So what's the price from. From. From Arima? Well, if you take the maxi on the hub in Arima, you will pay $10 to reach the Curep. But if you pick. If. Let's say you pick up the maxi by spring. By the spring, somewhere up in Dabadee to cure up. Is it still 10? I'm trying to gauge.
[00:15:41] Speaker B: No, that's. That's $7.
[00:15:43] Speaker A: Seven. From Kirap to Port of Spain, that's $7.
San Juan to Arima, $9. Beautiful. We got the price. All right. Thank you so much for taking the time. I don't know if there's any additional information you would like to share with our listening audience who have concerns. Now, I want the person to remember she cannot speak for the other associations.
This is the pro for the east west corridor, which is the Route 2 Red Band Maxis. And we got some clarity on the driver's situation where it relates to the passes, the hubs. Is there anything that you could remember, the top of your head that you all were looking for outside of what you mentioned?
[00:16:29] Speaker B: We're looking at. We were also lobbying for safety. Yes, we have transit, but at the end of the day, we need a lot more safety on the bus route because nearly every day, every other day, every night, a maxi is being robbed. Not just the driver, but all the passengers in the maxi, you know, and we, You Know, we keep asking for safety because it is getting very terrible out there for us and the commuters.
[00:16:55] Speaker A: I would, I would make a suggestion. I think you all should do like the truckers in, you know, in other parts of the world, create a system where you all could, I don't know, maybe press a button in the maxi when you see something happening. The driver could just mash and it sends an alert. Exactly. I don't know, you all could probably team up with somebody and, and get that system in their buses where you all could, you know, put together and pay. I don't know. So if the maxi is being robbed, the driver just press the button of the photo, whatever, just touch it quickly and it sends a signal and it hits transit. Who patrolling and it could get to the. I don't know. I don't know.
[00:17:27] Speaker B: Just one of the, one of the. One of the things that I must compliment chant at all right.
We form a chat, a WhatsApp group with a chance.
If the drivers are me feeling threatened or see somebody suspicious in their bus, we send a message. And I must give kudos to the head of the transit. He actually sends out our unit immediately once we get that number of that maxi and they intercept the maxi.
[00:17:59] Speaker A: Really? That's awesome, man. That is good information.
That is great information. So if you all suspect someone in the bus looking shaky.
Oh, you pick up the person.
So you send a message and give them your location as well. Very quickly.
[00:18:15] Speaker B: Yes. And number and number plate.
[00:18:17] Speaker A: Number plate of the bus and location where you, where you are. If you're heading east past Lupino, heading east at the moment. And they mobilize quickly and get to the bus.
[00:18:24] Speaker B: Yes, they do.
[00:18:25] Speaker A: And they would. Okay, that is great information. You see, you're already ahead of the game. Was these kind of suggestions presented to Minister Eli, you wouldn't be able to see.
[00:18:37] Speaker B: I wouldn't be able to say. But I want to believe they did all of those things.
My, my present president, he's not a person who is more erratic or without thinking. You know, he does things, he analyzes and then he makes a move and he thinks he's doing.
[00:18:54] Speaker A: What about cameras? Any buses?
[00:18:56] Speaker B: Well, a lot of buses have cameras in them and a lot of us have our dash cam that phase in and out.
So that is how we were able to get the footage of the last big
[00:19:11] Speaker A: by Bonia West.
[00:19:12] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:19:13] Speaker A: Yeah. One text. I saying that last statement you made is most gratifying because the persons were worried and concerned. You know, they were worried and concerned.
And I Mean you all I mean I the same put the right suspended I just going through some of the texts that persons are sending because I know a lot of people were trying to call when I was a passenger. The taxi drivers don't care about safety. I think that changed now.
[00:19:39] Speaker B: But what they don't understand excuse me. What they don't understand is that all of us we are not the same. I know they Broadbush everybody in the same pot of tea but we are all not the same. We all don't drive the same.
[00:19:53] Speaker A: I agree with you. I agree with you and I I mean some of them I mean maxi fighting dong maxi I mean they're trying to pick up passengers. I understand and I believe it's not just the regulars. I mean sometimes the newcomers might come and pull them kind of stun I'll take a call very quickly. Good morning. 30 seconds.
[00:20:08] Speaker B: Morning Morning thanks for the so from the piano. Very nice. So.
You don't your trump for instance with the security the last party mentioned I didn't like how you give it away but anyway.
[00:20:25] Speaker A: No no no. All right, thanks much. I disagree with you.
My I, my, my notion is to deter persons I want to deter you from coming to to rob the maxi. So yes let her let you know we have, we have a mechanism in place that if you try it you could find yourself in problems so to say she gave away her hand there. I disagree with you. I'm happy that she mentioned it. It gives a sense of security and it warns them we watching or no. Hello. Good morning. Quickly, quickly.
[00:20:53] Speaker B: The factor is the speed limit.
The percentages of red band maxi on the highway are very very small.
[00:21:00] Speaker A: This is not a highway. This is on the bus route.
[00:21:02] Speaker B: This is what I'm saying.
65 is sufficient for the bus route.
[00:21:07] Speaker A: All right, Well I disagree 65 there are some days it's clearer you're talking about peak hours. I, I think it is a relatively good thing you know to work with but I want to thank you again Piero for sharing your the thoughts and those study the associate anybody in switching tell you you give up with the hand you didn't you literally.
[00:21:29] Speaker B: No, no. I, I think it's about pacifying the passengers and making everybody feel comfortable and safe that we have somebody out there who when we call on them they will be there at a moment's notice for the safety of the traveling public.
[00:21:44] Speaker A: I agree.
I agree. I agree. I agree.
I agree. I know it might be a little convoluted you all could figure out a safer, a quicker way to send those alerts. But I don't think you give away a hand. I think you make passengers a little easier knowing that if we something suspicious, you know, we could say something. You know, I think, I think all maxi should put up their their number in the bus. So if a passenger sitting on any bus and seeing something suspiciously driving notice WhatsApp the driver quick that the driver send an alert. You understand? I kind of think put him. Put your number Daisy driver's number instead of just putting it up for people to hire you put a number up in the bus, the driver number you could put it and hbx.
So if a passenger sees something in the bus too and a person looking shady, they could send a message to the driver, the driver put it in the chat, bam. You know, that kind of way. That is what we're looking for. Thank you very much, Pierro and I would suggest that to Frosty and Brenton as well. Have a good one and be safe out there.
[00:22:37] Speaker B: All right, same to you. Thank you for having me.
[00:22:40] Speaker A: All right, take care.
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