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  • 11 months ago
Maxi-taxi drivers along the Sangre Grande routes are threatening to take action which could affect the travelling public, after complaining for years about the state of their hub with no redress. The drivers are calling on the Minister of Works to intervene. Ryneesa Cutting has more.

Transcript
00:00Taxi-taxi drivers along the Sangre Grandi routes are threatening to take action which could affect the traveling public
00:06After complaining for years about the state of their hub with no redress
00:10The drivers are calling on the Minister of Works to intervene. Vanessa Cutting has more
00:16We highlighting it and we have a campaign on going right now that we're going to highlight all our other concerns
00:23And we're going to lump it together so that the public will understand when we take a certain course action
00:28the traveling public could be in for some inconvenience if the Sangre Grandi hub is not attended to by the
00:35PTSD as drivers and passengers are said to be facing a number of challenges daily at the facility
00:42this was a
00:44PTSD facility. PTSD is used as a mechanic shop and
00:49fueling station and
00:51When they move that operation back up the road, they bring Maxis inside
00:56That is over 20 years ago
01:00Nothing has been done since. Conditions is totally deplorable. We have heavily pigeon infestation
01:07in sanitary condition
01:09The drains, they're opening the drains, the toilet facility is shut down, locked down for the longest while
01:15Passengers, commuters, anybody using here have no access to any washroom facility
01:22The hub is also said to be unsecured
01:25Resulting in private motorists gaining entry to the facility
01:29No one respects one another inside here. No drivers. They come, they park where they want, they go and buy whatever they need to buy
01:35They come back here, it becomes a free parking area in Sanre Grandi
01:38the Maxis
01:40We operate as though we're squatting here. That is how it looks as now, as the Maxi Taxi industry
01:46Becomes squatters and this facility was intended to be for Maxi Taxi
01:52The Route 2 Maxi Taxi Association says with PTSC failing to do its part to upkeep the facility
01:59The association has come up with a plan for the upgrade and the management of the hub
02:04What it needs is for the state to give the green light
02:08Sit and talk with us to get the management part of it going
02:12Part of it could entail, I can tell you, the drivers are not willing to have a little barrier
02:16for a little toll to come in. We could utilize the compound in terms of advertising with the corporate citizens in here
02:22It will create employment, it will create development. It will even enhance the look. We even have a little situation where now
02:28Yes, it is congested. Just now you're going to see how many vehicles here. A limited amount of park and ride
02:33That you could come, you could park your vehicle here and you could take a Maxi and commute down the way to Porter Street
02:38But it will be in a limited control situation
02:41Vending, access to the toilet
02:43We have all the holistic plans and it could be done in a way that the compound itself will be self-sufficient
02:50It's not to say every Monday morning you come in, capping hand, asking the minister, asking the government to do this
02:55They're calling on the Minister of Works and Transport to intervene
02:59Renessa Cutting, TV6 News
03:03In response, Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan says that two notes are currently before the cabinet
03:09Which will help to address the issues faced by the Maxi Taxi drivers
03:13He explains that there is no fixed policy that speaks to the state's arrangements with the Maxi Taxi
03:19Associations and further notes that there are some land tenure issues
03:24The minister says a solution could be found as early as this week
03:29What we are doing right now, that is in front of the cabinet
03:33We have two notes, one which is a national transportation note
03:38Which takes into consideration land, sea and air. It's the first time since
03:441976, I think it is, that we have a new transportation policy that will significantly change
03:50The way we operate on land which includes a major part of the Maxi Taxi
03:55System that we run and we also have a note which will be discussed tomorrow at FNGP that have been in cabinet for a while
04:02That is coming up tomorrow where we'll have a national, a final again, a policy document as to how we operate with
04:10Maxi Taxis and where they operate and you know, how we deal with them on the go. So that is the unfortunate thing about the Maxi Taxi
04:19They have never been really a solid document as to how we treat with them
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