Thousands of students using the maxi-taxis for school in south and east Trinidad were affected yesterday as the Association of School Maxi Transport Concessionaires of T&T stayed away from duty.
Association president Rodney Ramlogan said the drivers will continue to stay away from work until they are paid in full by the Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC), adding drivers carry some 36,000 students to school across the country.
Yesterday, some 350 drivers stay away from duty claiming they were paid for just one week out of four months.
Drivers from Matelot, Mayaro, Icacos, Cedros, central Trinidad, Penal and Barrackpore stayed away from work.
"The majority of the workers did not show up for work and stood in solidarity. Some of the students found their way and travelled and I took my vehicle to drive my children to school," Ramlogan said.
Ramlogan said he did not agree with Education Minister Anthony Garcia's statement that the association was "holding the children to ransom."
"The safety of the children is at stake and he is holding our children at ransom. We couldn't buy their books or pay for maintenance or insurance of the vehicles," he said.
"We will not accept no part or two instalments. He (Garcia) came out and said he would straighten the issue. We gave him time and he made one week payment. Until we get all the money in the account or in the bank we are prepared not to come out to work and we can't take chances with their (children) lives."
Ramlogan said education was important and the Government should take that as an important issue.
"The Government should understand education is important and the Government is supposed to understand and we should not be compromising," he said.
Attempts to contact PTSC manager-marketing and communications Carl Ramdeo were unsuccessful yesterday.
Meanwhile, TTUTA president Lynsley Doodhai said several teachers returned home after showing up for duty yesterday. He said several schools were not in the best condition as there were ongoing repairs at a number of them.
"We are monitoring what is going on to get the complete picture. Schools had to close and the teachers did not get the best conditions going and some repairs were ongoing," he said.
A release from TTUTA said 62 out of 142 earmarked are still to be completed although these schools reopened yesterday.
Also commenting on the issue yesterday was National Parent/Teacher Association president Zena Ramatali, who called on the Government to release the necessary funds to pay the stakeholders.
"It is my concern for these children who are eagerly looking for their first day and how would they feel this morning. I am calling on all authorities to release the funds so the children can have a quality education," she said.
She said the NPTA was concerned over how the ongoing situation would impact the students in future.
She repairs to schools in several districts was also an issue.
"There were areas at schools where they were being repaired on Saturday and Sunday and we have stated a decade or two now that these repairs should have been done long before," she said.
TTUTA's trouble list:
Princes Town East Secondary
Hockett Baptist Primary
Longdenville Presbyterian Primary
St Phillips Government Primary
San Fernando Central Secondary
School for the Blind
Valencia Secondary
Malabar Government Primary
Cedros Anglican Primary