The Tribune

By FAY SIMMONS

TRIBUNE Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

JITNEY drivers are “barely managing” as high diesel prices push daily fuel bills up to $160, adding to the cost of maintaining vehicles while passenger fares remain unchanged.

Rudolph Taylor, president of the Bahamas Unified Bus Drivers Union (BUDU), said diesel prices at $7.95 per gallon are adding to the financial pressure on operators, who are still waiting for the Government to deliver on a promised increase in the adult bus fare from $1.50 to $2.

Speaking to Tribune Business, Mr Taylor said operators are also contending with higher costs for oil, tires and mechanical repairs, while the fare they charge passengers had remained unchanged. He argued that the industry had been left to absorb rising expenses despite repeated calls for relief from its fixed prices and margins.

“I'm barely managing because the price of fuel is very high right now, and so anywhere from $120, $160 a day,” Mr Taylor said, describing his daily fuel expenditure. “The price of fuel, oil, tires, the cost of maintenance of the mechanic, all the dollars went up, and the bus fare just stays the same.”

Mr Taylor said the union was no longer interested in further meetings with the Government over a proposed fare increase, insisting that officials should honour commitments made to operators rather than subject them to another round of discussions.

“I'm not interested in going back to the table. Just do what was stated that you were going to do,” he said. “Just enforce what needs to be enforced, and that's it. It doesn't have to be a back and forth. I don't see the need for back and forth.”

Mr Taylor said operators had been promised a $2 fare in the first quarter of 2023 but did not receive the increase. Instead, he said, they received a 25 cent increase in 2024, leaving the fare at $1.50. He argued that the Government's failure to implement incremental increases towards the promised $2 fare had contributed to the current impasse.

“We were promised in 2023. We didn't receive. We got 25 cents a year later, which is in 2024,” he said. Mr Taylor said the union had previously submitted paperwork and held discussions with government officials, but operators were still waiting for the commitments to be fulfilled.

He said the outstanding issues extended beyond fares to improvements that had been discussed with the previous administration, including driver uniforms, an app intended to support the bus system and better facilities for operators and passengers.

Among the promised improvements, Mr Taylor said, were better bus stop facilities and restrooms, while he also questioned what became of a previously announced budget allocation for bus stops and shelters.

“I don't know where the $250,000 went on what, but they said it was for bus stops and and the list went on,” he said.

Mr Taylor said the union had also received little indication that the Government intends to provide targeted fuel relief or a subsidy to help operators manage higher costs. “What subsidy do you see for the busses? Do you see any subsidies, or you hear anything?” he asked.

Mr Taylor said bus operators covered substantial distances daily while providing an essential service to commuters, with some travelling as much as 200 miles per day.

“They put down 200 miles a day in a small island that is 21 miles by seven. So think about the fuel,” he said.

Mr Taylor also questioned why operators continue to be left waiting for a fare increase while other expenses and costs of living continued to rise.

He said the union was not seeking further assurances but wanted the Government to act on what had already been promised. “Let your word be your bond when you say what you said,” he said.