Taxi-drivers charging exorbitant fares, during holiday periods and big events, has sparked fresh interest in the setting up of a regulatory authority to determine how much passengers should pay.
Transport Minister Robeson Benn told Stabroek News that inter-sectoral consultations would be held on the matter. He said those would take place between his ministry and the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce. It is that ministry, he explained, that is responsible for setting fares and would normally deal with consumers.
The minister also noted that his ministry was informed of not only price gouging during the peak seasons but that also many persons were left stranded on roads because of the high level of activities occurring throughout the city. “We certainly noted the high level of traffic activity over the holidays… with the minibuses also and a lot of persons were left on the roads. We also are aware of the price gouging that comes with peak seasons and would soon start discussions with the Ministry of Trade and Industry as a means of rectifying this problem. We would welcome a regulatory body to look into fare structures,” Benn said.
Over the holiday, many persons complained about the exorbitant fares charged by taxi operators in the city. Some have said that the fares sometimes doubled and in a few instances accounts were given of tripling of the fares by the drivers.
Said irate passenger Dacia Cumberbatch, “I live in South and I normally pay $500 or $600 for a drop; Christmas Eve, every single driver I went to told me $2,000 from Regent Street to Kaikan… I had to tell some a dem is a Christmas tree a buy, not a money tree! What kinda #@&% is that? Wuh really wrong wid dese bannas?”
Only giving her first name, Sonia complained that she was exploited by a taxi-driver on a rainy day during the holiday-rush. “These taxi drivers is silent murderers you hear me? They ain’t gat heart and nuff a dem wuking people car, so me ain’t know why they don’t have mercy pun poor people. I went fuh pick one-one lil fine things in de market and de rain burst, so I run to a car …imagine from Bourda to front road I had to pay $1,500,” she said. She added, “is only cause I de only do meh hair de same day mek I tek it or else I woulda tek wet.”
The Christmas holidays, Stabroek News was told, was not the only time drivers capitalized on vulnerable passengers. One taxi driver, Sheldon, who works for a popular taxi service, told this newspaper that at big events, drivers also charge increased fares. He said the reason was that most events finish until the wee hours of the morning and persons are then eager to get home, they would have no other choice but to go with the taxi drivers.
Omaly, a driver attached to the Indian Chief Taxi Service in Georgetown, differed in his outlook about other drivers fleecing commuters. He said that he saw no reason for the huge surcharges. Justifying his position, he said, “Overcharging my clients is like killing the goose that lay the golden egg, ’cause when I overcharge them, they won’t wan tell other people about me. I might mek a dollar now but when de season hard them same people is remember and will suck salt.” Another driver, George, who operates at the corner of Robb and Camp streets, said he would welcome regulation. “I would glad for that day to come. I look forward to that, because everyone will be on par,” he said. He admitted charging higher fares during the Christmas season because others were doing so and the traffic congestion, which he felt were good enough reasons.
A representative from City Taxi Service informed that not all the cars are owned by his service. As a result, he said a number of contracted cars complain that during the holiday season it would be more feasible working on their own than depending on jobs given to them by the service. “Some cars are contracts cars and some of those drivers feel that during the peak season, it is best to work the [road]. They sometimes charge one or two hundred more but nothing high ’cause they tell us that the traffic is be rough and they use more gas,” he said.
