The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

Bus drivers yesterday slammed the Government’s “empty promises” as they staged a protest sit-in that was not universally welcomed by all participants in the transportation sector.

Harrison Moxey, the United Public Transportation Company’s (UPTC) president, told Tribune Business that the strike, which potentially impacted hundreds of passengers in New Providence, had “nothing to do” with his organisation but was instead orchestrated by members of the Bahamas Unified Bus Drivers Union. (BUDU).

Rudolph Taylor, the BUDU’s president, said the drivers were not on strike but were just “sitting down and talking”. He added that they were frustrated and tired of the empty promises” by the Government, and said: “I guess the drivers are sitting down and having a communication, but I’m not there. I’m not there today because I’m doing other things.”

Several bus drivers were parked on R.M. Bailey Park for the better part of yesterday, and said their grievances stem from the Government’s failure to approve a fare increase that will offset the squeeze caused by high fuel prices. Fuel costs of close to $7 per gallon have plunged many into a daily loss-making position that cannot be sustained, and will force many out of business if high prices persist.

Besides a 62.5 percent hike in adult fares, from $1.25 to $2, the BUDU members also want senior fares to increase by one-third - from 75 cents to $1 - if their services are to remain viable. While fares for primary school students would remain unchanged at 50 cents per journey, the drivers want those for junior and senior high school students to rise by 25 percent from $1 to $1.25.

Jobeth Coleby-Davis, minister of transport and housing, recently said the Davis administration has deferred any decision on a fare increase due to concerns about the impact on Bahamian consumers already struggling with the cost of living crisis. She added that the Government was working on a so-called relief package for the jitney industry, but gave no firm details on what this will include, and driver patience over the lack of specifics appears to have snapped.

The Ministry of Transport and Housing, in a statement issued last night, downplayed yesterday’s protest action as only involving 20-25 drivers. It urged the union and its members to “return to the negotiating table”, saying the ministry had met with industry representatives multiple times to address demands for a fare increase to offset soaring fuel costs.

Reiterating that it was seeking to balance the bus drivers’ concerns with “the interests of the thousands of Bahamians who use public transportation daily”, it stuck to its ‘relief package’ position although, again, failing to provide any details.

“The Government of The Bahamas understands the concerns of bus drivers and wishes to confirm that the request for a fare increase was deferred to allow government to design a temporary relief package,” the Ministry of Transport and Housing said. “However, the temporary relief package was rejected by the protesting bus drivers who have demanded an immediate increase in fares.

“The Ministry of Transport and Housing, therefore, calls on bus drivers to return to the negotiating table so that a practical resolution can be achieved and further disruption to public transportation can be avoided.”

Mr Moxey, whose organisation represents jitney owners and operators, said he has also been in talks with the Government over a fare rise. They want what the bus drivers are seeking, too, but he argued that yesterday’s “strike” was premature and an over-reaction. “These guys are just the bus drivers and they really aren’t the ones that should be canvassing for anything,” Mr Moxey said.

“They are mixed up in life. They are taking people’s bus and they are working for people. So if they want to strike then they should stay home. They shouldn’t bring people’s vehicle out on the park and talk about they are striking. They should just walk out there.”

Corvell Colebrooke, the BUDU’s secretary-general, declined to speak to Tribune Business. However, Mr Moxey added: “Rudy [Taylor] was the one that sent the message out about the strike. The message that has gone out has his name attached to it about this meeting on the park for the bus drivers, and now he’s saying he is not involved in this when he is the president of the BUDU. That means he has no control. He is letting Colebrooke do whatever he wants to do.

“They don’t own any busses, but if you talk to them they act like it’s their bus. They don’t own anything; they just go and take people’s bus and do what they feel like. I respect their right to protest, but you don’t take people’s machines and go out on a strike and do whatever you feel like. This is like the tail wagging the dog.

“They should have parked their owner’s vehicle and then go out to the park, but they are so contentious and cantankerous that this is all they know how to do. They are protesting in people’s busses without notice to the owners.”

The UPTC has been in discussions with the government over a fare raise for the past six months, and Mr Moxey disclosed: “I said: Let’s get the proposal, and if the proposal insults you then we go to a stronger measure. But they always want to use the strongest measure first.”

Not all busses were on strike yesterday, and even some that were at RM Bailey Park had already made runs earlier in the morning. By 2pm several jitneys were back on the road and picking up customers despite a small handful remaining parked on RM Bailey Park. Mr Moxey said his busses will be on the road today as far as he is aware.

He added: “They gave no notice to the general public and left people all over the road stranded trying to get to work. They gave their customers no heads up that something was going to happen. I have no problem with standing up for your rights, but there is a proper way to do things. It’s our right and I feel that the Government has been dragging their feet, and I warned them that this was going to happen. This is only the beginning.

“The main thing is getting the point across to the Government for the hardship that we have been experiencing. The fuel cost increase is only another step. It is only exacerbating an already bad situation that we’ve been complaining about since 2019.

“The stipend that the Government is proposing, we’ve been asking for that since 2020 when we first went on COVID-19 lockdowns, and while we were on lockdown in 2021. So now here we are in 2022 fighting for a stipend that is already out of whack. So we hope that the Government makes a decision quickly on it and some resolve comes to the matter.”

The Government has promised an interim stipend to the bus drivers, but they are not clear on the amount this will be. “The stipend is really to try to cushion because the increase isn’t coming forthwith,” Mr Moxey said.