| Date: Fri 30-Dec-1994 Paper Page: 3A Publication: Weekend Nation by Terry Ally THE ROUTE TAXI ASSOCIATION has accused Government of dealing in "very bad faith". President of the National Transport Cooperative Inc., Judy Forde, in an interview yesterday, also lambasted the Minister of Public Works and Transport George Payne for reneging on decisions agreed upon at a November 11 meeting. She argued that any alteration to the agreement, to re-route both route taxis and minibuses from Tudor Street, should be transparent, based on sound reasons and not taken in a "willy nilly" manner. She therefore challenged the minister to say what informed his decision to renege on the November 11 agreement. Forde said that at the first and only meeting to date, it was agreed that the public service vehicles returning to Bridgetown via Tudor Street would be re-routed via Fontabelle and Princess Alice Highway. This came into effect November 27. However, following complaints from shop owners in Tudor Street about declining sales, minibuses were given permission to return to the City via Tudor Street from Friday, December 23. "They thought the (shop owners') plight was urgent and important enough to meet and even necessitate a visit from the Prime Minister, whereas the first working day after the Christmas holidays a meeting was convened and a decision made without consulting us," she said referring to Wednesday's meeting between the Prime Minister, Payne and other officials. "Although they would have seen that we expressed an interest in dialogue, they hurriedly rushed ahead and confirmed their position without even considering meeting with us," she said. The Prime Minister subsequently intervened and upheld the minister's decision and said the present arrangement would remain in place and be reviewed at the end of March 1995. "We definitely want to know why, why they've taken such a discriminatory position," said Forde. She said, too, the drivers feel betrayed because the Barbados Labour Party manifesto said the party wanted to integrate minibuses and route taxis into the system "in terms no less favourable" than state-owned buses. Just the opposite is happening, Forde charged. But she said the "real disappointment" was the promise of the minister at the November 11 meeting to work more closely and meet regularly with the private transport association to facilitate a more efficient transport system. Instead of that promised consultation, Forde said they have to read ministry decisions in the Press. "There may be some elements in society who think that we should not express our disgust in the Press but should have dialogue. Yet we are reading about decisions made in relation to transport in the Press; that is how we are being informed," she said. Meanwhile efforts continued yesterday evening to set up a meeting between route taxi owners and top officials of the Ministry of Transport and Works. That meeting could be held as early as today but not later than Monday, sources said. |