‘Mi wi gwaan work with it’

Taxi operator Sylvester Thompson, who plies the Longville Park to Old Harbour route, says he is prepared to accept the 15 per cent increase in taxi fares announced by the Government as he expressed sympathy for passengers.

The new fare increase took effect on Monday.

Acknowledging that taxi operators have been absorbing the hardship for eight years now, he said he would comply with the 15 per cent increase.

“So mi wi gwaan work with it yah sah through the pandemic, although we asked for it before. Mi think say wi fi just gwaan work with it, ‘cause some a di man dem have four woman, so dem can drop off two,” he shared with The Gleaner.

Thompson said he has to think about the passengers, too, as even with the increase, commuters are telling him that they just don’t have it.

“Whey you a go do? It hard you nuh man, it hard pon wi. I deh yah today as a driver, tomorrow mi a guh tek one vehicle and mi have my daughter a go school different place, wi haffi tek dat into consideration,” he argued, as he expressed doubt that the Government will be bowing to pressure to grant a further increase.

For Andrew, who also plies the same route, he will be accepting the 15 per cent increase but warned that it will not be business as usual for residents of Longville Park.

Prior to the increase, he said those passengers who expect to be dropped off at their gates in the community should brace for the practice to be discontinued.

“We will drop to the nearest points on the boulevard and the people dem go to their various gates. The same way they would walk leave their yards and come to look the taxis or to meet the JUTC (Jamaica Urban Transit Company) bus,” he said.

According to Andrew, on weekends or during the week, passengers with luggage would pay an extra fare for the turn off to be transported to their gates.

“Mi nuh tink dem shoulda have a problem wid we not going to their gate like weh we normally do, because it bun too much gas, wear and tear, too much disc pad just to travel inna di scheme alone. Cause you a guh spend 20 minutes inna di scheme dropping off people, it’s 20 minutes worth of gas and disc pad and wear and tear and den you looking at another 15 to 20 minutes fi go look passenger fi go out,” he argued.

However, Thompson said he will be doing no such thing as it is already hard on passengers.

A commuter, who gave her name only a ‘Nads’, said life is harder now than before as she has a child who is attending Marlie Mount Primary School. While she understands the taxi operators’ situation, the mother of one said she has to prioritise her own situation.

“Dem need the money but at the same time, I think the Government should a hold back. A lot of tings waan go back dung even fi right now because it hard. You (Government) not thinking about the lower class a people weh nuh have no family a foreign or nobody weh dem can turn to. How some a wi a go survive? You caan work fi put back di money you keep spending, so weh wi go duh ... some a wi a go dead as far as me see it,” were her words of gloom and doom.