The Tribune

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

A NUMBER of jitney drivers withdrew their services yesterday in a bid to turn up the pressure on the government to increase fares.

Drivers are proposing an increase in adult fares from $1.25 to $2, seniors from 75 cents to $1, junior and senior students from $1 to 1.25 and primary school students to remain at 50 cents.

Corvell Colebrooke, general secretary of the Bahamas Unified Bus Drivers Union (BUBDU) told The Tribune their demonstration was taken aimed at the Minister of Transport Jobeth Coleby-Davis.

Mr Colebrooke said: “This action has been taken against the minister of transportation because the minister has been fooling around, telling us too much different stories. Right now, we are sick and tired of what is going on in this industry. The cost of living is up, the inflation is terrible, the fuel is over $7-it takes over $100 a day to run these public service vehicles. There is no way we can sustain this.”

According to Mr Colebrooke the drivers have been demanding the fare increase from 2008, but nothing has been done.

“From 2008, this is 2022,” he said.

“They are giving everything to the taxi transportation, but us who take care of the local Bahamian people, are the ones that are not being fairly taken care of.

“Us drivers, we are up in the morning from 4:30 ‘til after 6/7 dealing with the public. You can’t expect for us, as small businessmen, to continue taking this loss. We are working at a loss. The fuel is killing us.”

Sammy Taylor, public relations officer of BUBDU said they were unaware of what a proposed temporary package from transport minister Jobeth Colebey-Davis contained.

“She only mentioned it on TV no meeting was called to say what that package is. Up to today we still don’t know what package she is talking about,” he said.

Earlier this month, the minister announced the government will be offering relief packages to jitney drivers to offset the impact of increasing fuel cost.

Officials had hoped for bus drivers to receive the relief packages before the end of the month.

“We were discussing that for some time (and) for a few months now and because the task in that is to really have a balance in that approach - because we know generally the area of society that depends on the public bus transportation - and so where we are now is that Cabinet has agreed for a relief package to be presented by the Ministry of Finance,” Mrs Coleby-Davis said.

“And so, I have just sent a last bit of documents that were requested from the financial secretary and the Minister of Finance, and they are reviewing and then they should be presenting me with the relief package which we could begin to provide now to get us through this period and we will consider discussions related to the increase in fares.”

Asked when the government plans to reconsider the fare increase, the minister said: “I am hoping to re-engage that discussion probably in another six months. The relief package, I hope would carry us through the period until I am able to get back to a place where I could present more options that they would be able to consider.”