National Taxi Union President Lucien Joseph
President of the National Taxi Union (NTU) Lucien Joseph said the union has submitted proposals to government seeking increases for taxi fares on island.
Joseph told St Lucia News Online (SNO) today September 9, that a committee has been formed by government to deal with the increases.
“We are not taking no for an answer and we remain firm on our position. I am confident in the way in which things are moving and I am sure that we will see an increase in taxi fare prices,” he told SNO.
Joseph said the NTU is currently putting mechanisms in place so that negotiations can take place and soon move to have new rates released to the public.
“So far the meetings have been fruitful and I can see this moving in a positive direction. We are meeting often with representatives of SLASPA and the Ministry of Tourism in that regard,” he added.
Commenting on the move to increase taxi fares, President of the Southern Taxi Association (STA) Francisco Jn Pierre, in a recent interview, told SNO that the increase is long overdue and the STA is also hopeful that the taxi service providers can see some increase coming from government.
However Jn Pierre explained that he has no confidence in the NTU, stating that it has done very little for its members over the years.
“In my opinion the NTU is a group of men keeping themselves in power using whatever mechanisms given to them and at the end of the day, I believe they are personally operating under a name for themselves and not for other drivers” Jn Pierre told SNO.
The STA President said that instead of representing it members, the NTU continues to side track its very own members for their own benefits.
Taxi operators have not seen an increase since 1998. The NTU and government have been engaging in talks of a possible increase since August of this year.