Red band maxi taxi drivers will not be increasing their fares to the public just yet.
So said president of the Route Two Maxi Taxi Association, Linus Phillip, following a marathon meeting with its members at City Gate, Port-of-Spain, yesterday, four days after Finance Minister Colm Imbert imposed a 15 per cent hike in the prices of super gasoline and diesel fuel.
However, Phillip warned that if businesses continue to raise the prices of tyres, batteries, oils and spare parts in the coming weeks, they would have no choice but to raise their fares on the travelling public.
Approximately 2,000 of 5,000 maxi taxis operate Route Two, which operates along the East/West Corridor, the Eastern Main Road and Priority Bus Route.
The remaining 3,000 maxi taxis ply Routes One, Three, Four, Five and Six. Six is the only route that operates in Tobago.
The last time Route Two increased its fares by $1 was January 2015. The fare from Arima to Port-of-Spain is now $7.
In the last six months, Phillip said maxi taxis drivers have been paying more to maintain their vehicles, while absorbing the two increases in fuel prices. Daily, Phillip said between 65,000 to 70,000 commuters travel with red band maxi taxis.
Before the fuel subsidy was cut last Friday, Phillip said to full the gas tank of a 12-seater maxi was roughly $95.
“Now it has gone to $120. The 25-seater maxi jumped from $138 to $160,” he added.
Phillip also described as “unfortunate” statements made by Imbert on Monday who stated that it would be “unpatriotic” for maxi taxi drivers to increase their fares following the increase in fuel.
“A lot of the drivers were annoyed by that statement. It almost reach to a point they were calling for Mr Imbert to apologise for making that statement like that.
I am calling on the minister to be patriotic and to provide proper facilities for the travelling public and maxi taxi operators.”
Ian Hewitt, president of Route One or yellow band maxi taxis (Diego Martin, Petit Valley and Carenage), admitted that operators have been maintaining their $4 fares since 2007.
Asked if Route One plans to increase its fares, what would be a justifiable figure, Hewitt stayed clear from answering.
Route One operators are scheduled to meet tomorrow to discuss if they should or should not increase their fares.