Bring on the probe.
This was the response from some members of the Association of School Maxi Transport Concessionaires of T&T who protested, for a second day, outside the Education Ministry on St Vincent Street, Port-of-Spain yesterday.
Carrying placards which read, “Empty bread baskets” and “Rowley please intervene” the association’s president, Rodney Ramlogan, denied the existence of “ghosts drivers” adding that the school maxi transport system has been in existence for 28 years.
At a press conference on Monday Education Minister Anthony Garcia called for an investigation into ghost gangs or ghost maxi-taxi drivers who he claimed were being paid although they were providing no service.
He had said this problem was brought to his attention in a recent conversation by a senior member of the association.
“I am not casting aspersions on anybody. Ghost gangs and workers seem to be a thing,” Garcia had said.
But Ramlogan vehemently denied this, saying drivers were “hard-working people” who deserved better from the minister.
He said the drivers must be registered with a school before getting permission to transport school children to and from their homes.
On statements made by Garcia that some $12 million owed to drivers would be paid, Ramlogan said, “Is only when we insert our bank card and actually see the money then we will believe the minister because he has made promises like this before.”
He also dismissed claims that drivers were holding school children to ransom, saying parents understood the plight of the drivers.
Sixty-year-old Clyde Mackhan, who has been operating the Point Fortin to Fyzabad and the La Brea to Fyzabad routes for the past 17 years, described his kitchen as “bone dry.”
Added to which he has to pay exorbitant medical bills for his wife who has a terminal disease.
“It’s just bills upon bills. There has always been problems regarding the payment but over the years the situation has deteriorated,” Mackhan said.
Speaking on CNC 3’s Morning Brew Programme yesterday Garcia accused the association of “gloating” over the fact that school children were without transportation yet again.
He reiterated that there would be a “total overhaul” of the school maxi system as there were some who were “exploiting the situation.”
“I have testimony from school children that tells me the maxi taxi drivers, in some cases, stop and pick up passengers along the routes and they charge them. That is not supposed to happen. There are too many instances like these where services are exploited,” Garcia said.
Speaking about the $12 million owed to the association he said, “That association is gloating over the fact that children were affected and certainly that is not the way we should to go.
“They are supposed to be providing a service. I understand their view that they have been working and have not been paid for some time and my view is that a worker should always been paid but to gloat over the fact that some 30,000 children were affected,” Garcia said.
He said last Sunday night he got a call from the Works Minister who informed him (Garcia) that drivers would be withholding their services.
“I made every effort to contact the president. He refused to speak to me. They were owed approximately $12 million and approximately $1 million was paid about two weeks ago.
“Yesterday (Monday) $6.1 or $6.5 million was also paid and we have given the assurance that the remaining would be paid by the end of this week,” the minister said.
Chief Education Officer Harrilal Seecharan, who was also on the programme said not all drivers however, protested Monday and yesterday.