The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

The Bahamas Taxi Cab Union's (BTCU) president yesterday said that while the industry initially wanted a 25 percent fare increase it ultimately settled for 10 percent because “drivers are making money”.

Wesley Ferguson told Tribune Business he is happy his members received a rate increase because it was “basically about respect” for drivers and the union. “The disrespect was when the plates were given out without any regard to the BTCU’s input," he blasted.

"So we demanded for 25 percent, but the fact is we only wanted a raise and, honestly, taxi drivers don’t need the raise. They are making money. The tourism industry has rebounded tremendously above and beyond their wildest dreams, but in order to demand the level of respect from the Government of The Bahamas the raise was implemented.”

The taxi union had sought as high as a 30 percent fare increase in a bid to counter the impact from high global oil/fuel prices, plus the overall cost of living crisis, on driver incomes. It began agitating for a fare increase under the former Minnis administration.

JoBeth Coleby-Davis, minister for housing and transport, announced in Parliament during her 2023-2024 Budget debate contribution that the Government had agreed to give taxi drivers a 10 percent fare increase. Some taxi drivers remain less than impressed with the 10 percent increase and Mrs Coleby-Davis’ performance, and have made clear their feelings privately to Tribune Business.

Mr Ferguson said: “They can be mad at Mrs Coleby-Davis. They can’t be made about the rate increase, but they can be mad about the amount of plates they flooded the industry with. And they are right, they are right.

“In all honesty, that is why the BTCU demanded the increase. The increase was about respect because they put all of those plates out there. So we told her what she has to do now is give us an increase to offset the amount of plates that you unleashed in the industry.

“Because she was playing hardball, we played hardball behind her, and we cornered her. The difference between the BTCU and the Bahamas Petroleum Retailers Association is that they don’t demand the respect from the Government, because we told the Government we will shut it down and keep it shut down until you bend," Mr Ferguson continued.

“The BTCU demanded that respect from the Government, and we are not going to stop until you bend and the Government relented. Even though we asked for 25 percent and we got 10 percent, it wasn’t about the percentage because taxi drivers are making money. It was about the respect and that’s what the raise was all about.”