The Tribune

BY ANNELIA NIXON

TRIBUNE Business Reporter

anixon@tribunemedia.net

THE DISPUTE over how taxi and livery operators work at Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) has escalated into a disagreement over whether the Government ever secured an agreement between the competing transportation groups.

Tyrone Butler, the Bahamas Taxi Cab Union (BTCU) president, is steadfast in his belief that a two-week trial arrangement was agreed with the Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Tourism on August 5, which was supposed to take effect from Monday, August 10.

But the Bahamas Livery Drivers Union (BLDU), however, says it was not part of that agreement and is questioning how a deal could have been reached without its participation.

The disagreement has now become a central point in the wider dispute that has prompted the BTCU to threaten industrial action. According to Mr Butler, the proposed arrangement would have changed the way transportation operators interact with arriving passengers at LPIA.

Under the agreement described by the BTCU, taxi drivers would be the only transportation operators permitted to stand at the arrivals door. Three livery vehicles would instead be positioned behind the third taxi in the existing taxi line-up. Livery operators would also continue to use the pick-up area near the rental car facilities for pre-arranged pickups, while new Road Traffic personnel were expected to be stationed at the airport.

Mr Butler said the arrangement was accepted as a two-week trial, despite the taxi union initially wanting it implemented several days earlier. “We accepted that as a trial for two weeks,” Mr Butler said.

He added that Mr Munroe, the acting controller of Road Traffic, signalled that he would not be ready to facilitate the changes until earlier this week on Monday, leading the union to agree to wait.

Mr Butler subsequently wrote to Leon Lundy, minister of transport, outlining what the union understood had been agreed. In the letter, Mr Butler said the arrangement would allow taxi drivers to be the only persons at the airport door, with no livery drivers standing alongside them. The letter also stated that three livery vehicles would be positioned behind the third taxi, and that the designated pick-up area would remain available for all drivers.

However, Mr Butler said the union received no further communication from the ministry before the scheduled roll-out. “We left that meeting on [last] Wednesday with the understanding that that arrangement would take effect on Monday,” he said. “Only to find that when we got there on Monday morning, livery drivers were not informed of that arrangement.”

The situation deteriorated Monday when livery drivers attempted to operate in the commercial lane, according to Mr Butler. He said the incident was subsequently characterised as a confrontation between taxi and livery drivers, which he rejected.

“On Monday past, there was an incident at the Lynden Pindling International Airport that involved mainly the livery drivers,” Mr Butler said. “It had nothing to do with the taxi drivers.”

Mr Butler said NAD became involved after livery operators attempted to clog the commercial lane and police were called. He argued that taxi drivers were simply following their normal procedure, while also attempting to operate within the additional space they believed had been promised under the August 5 arrangement.

The dispute has now raised questions about who was actually party to the proposed agreement, and whether the Government properly communicated the changes to all affected stakeholders.

Troy Austin, the BLDU president, strongly disputed the account presented by the taxi union and the Commonwealth of The Bahamas Trade Union Congress (CBTUC). Mr Austin said the livery union was not present for the alleged agreement.

“We were not in place during any agreement,” he said, and questioned how airport authorities could also be unaware of an agreement that was supposed to go into effect at LPIA.

“If there was some kind of agreement, how come nobody knows about it from the airport? NAD is not aware of it,” Mr Austin said. “No one else is aware of it other than the taxis.”

Mr Austin also questioned the absence of a formal written agreement involving all stakeholders, adding: “Where is the black and white agreement?” 

The Ministry of Transport has taken a different position, saying the two sides must first meet and arrive at a mutually acceptable solution. The ministry said the Government respects the roles of both unions, and recognises there are legitimate concerns on both sides. It said the ministry is currently awaiting the outcome of discussions between the two parties and would facilitate implementation once an agreement has been reached.

The ministry also stressed that it is not taking sides in the dispute. Its position contrasts with Mr Butler’s growing criticism of Mr Lundy, whom he accused of failing to resolve the issue after multiple meetings.

Mr Butler said the BTCU has met with Mr Lundy seven times since he became minister, and has also met with Glenys Hanna-Martin, minister of tourism, three times in a bid to resolve the impasse.

“It is really, really disappointing to see that there is not one item we can point to that we would have accomplished or resolved under the leadership of Mr Leon Lundy,” Mr Butler said. He added that the union had reached a point where it no longer has confidence in the process.

“We’ve had it,” Mr Butler said. “And we can no longer continue to just meet and meet and meet.” Beneath the disagreement over airport positioning is a broader argument over how livery operators compete with traditional taxis. Mr Butler argued that many livery operators use the same types of vehicles as taxis, including SUVs and town cars, and therefore compete for the same customers.

“The only difference between a livery that has a taxi plate and a livery plate is the colour of the plate,” he said. Mr Butler also argued that livery operators have an advantage because they are not subject to the same fixed taxi rates.

“If the taxi rate was $50, they can go for $49, and we’ve seen them do that on many occasions just to get the job,” Mr Butler said.

The BTCU president also questioned why livery operators should be allowed to stand beside taxis at the airport when both groups are competing for passengers. He said taxis already have SUVs and other higher-end vehicles within their fleet, and should be given a fair opportunity to secure those passengers.

Mr Butler also singled out Atlantis, arguing that livery operators have a particularly strong presence at the resort. According to Mr Butler, the BTCU has raised concerns with Atlantis previously and sent the resort a letter several months ago. He said the union received no response.

Mr Butler warned that Atlantis could become part of whatever action the taxi union ultimately takes. Atlantis declined to comment on the dispute.