分类： society

On the second day of a voluntary work stoppage labeled a ‘rest and reflection’ action by maxi-taxi operators across Trinidad and Tobago, multiple state security and transport agencies mobilized expanded emergency services Tuesday to mitigate widespread morning commute disruptions for the traveling public. Led by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS), the coordinated response added new participating partners to the effort launched the previous day, growing available vehicle capacity by nearly 200% to meet unmet passenger demand.

When the work stoppage left thousands of regular commuters without access to their usual transit, TTPS reached out to cross-sector state agencies to assemble an emergency fleet. In total, 15 operational vehicles were made available Tuesday, 10 more than the five deployed during the first day of disruptions Monday. Breaking down the fleet composition, Assistant Commissioner of Police Brian Soodeen confirmed TTPS contributed five 25-seater buses, the Trinidad and Tobago Fire Service added two 15-seater buses, the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) provided one 25-seater vehicle, and the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force (TTDF) supported the effort with four 25-seater vehicles and three 15-seater maxi-taxis. The Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC) also joined the coordination hub based at Port of Spain’s City Gate transportation terminal.

TTPS Commissioner Allister Guevarro emphasized that the entire cross-agency initiative was rooted in a core commitment to public safety, pushing back against claims from maxi-taxi association representatives that the operation amounted to strike-breaking. Rejecting assertions that the emergency response counted as substitute scab labor, Guevarro framed the effort as a standard public service intervention to address a critical community need. ‘This is the TTPS and other law enforcement agencies reaching out in its capacity to treat with a problem that has arisen,’ he said, noting that the expanded partnership between agencies had delivered a nearly 200% jump in available passenger capacity from Monday’s initial deployment.

Addressing longstanding security concerns raised by the maxi-taxi association, Guevarro acknowledged that law enforcement cannot be omnipresent, and appealed to the public to proactively share information on criminal activity to support policing efforts, as placing an officer in every maxi-taxi is not logistically feasible. He added that commuters displayed orderly, cooperative behavior during the first day of the emergency service, with no instances of disruption or misconduct reported. As of Tuesday, Guevarro also confirmed that a number of maxi-taxi operators had already resumed their regular routes.

PTSC General Manager (Retired Lieutenant Colonel) Patrick Gomez dismissed suggestions that the emergency deployment was a publicity stunt, explaining that vehicles were dynamically dispatched to high-demand routes, with trips merged where capacity allowed to maximize efficiency. Gomez confirmed the initiative was launched after Guevarro formally requested PTSC support, adding that public feedback on the expanded Tuesday service was overwhelmingly positive.

Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Eli Zakour, who was on-site to observe the coordinated response, confirmed that state agencies were aligned in their priority of getting commuters to their destinations safely. Zakour declined to share detailed remarks on a Monday closed-door meeting between government representatives and the maxi-taxi association, but described the discussion as cordial. He echoed Guevarro’s observation that some operators had chosen to return to work Tuesday, noting that the choice to resume service remained a personal decision for individual drivers and that it was too early to link the return to Monday’s talks. Government will continue monitoring operator turnout before deciding on next steps, Zakour added, and reaffirmed that a previously announced checkered-band regulation framework for maxi-taxis, already outlined to Parliament, remains in development.

What was supposed to be a 48-hour work stoppage by Trinidad’s maxi-taxi operators ended much earlier than planned for most drivers, with the majority of operators returning to public roads by the second day, after widespread disruption left hundreds of commuters stranded just one day prior.

Local newspaper the Express documented a clear uptick in operating maxi-taxis across multiple population centers on Tuesday, including the busy hubs of Curepe and Chaguanas. In South Trinidad, brown and black band maxi-taxis were back on their routes in full force by the morning.

The industrial action launched on Monday, when operators from all six of the country’s maxi-taxi routes held a first day of what they called “rest and reflection” to push for action on a slate of long-simmering grievances. Their top complaints included unregulated competition from unlicensed “PH” private vehicles and unauthorised white buses, which have siphoned off customers and cut into drivers’ livelihoods for months. Monday’s stoppage brought widespread transport chaos, with hundreds of daily commuters unable to find reliable rides to work, school, and essential appointments.

Late Monday, leaders of all maxi-taxi associations held a marathon, nearly five-hour negotiating session with Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Eli Zakour. While many participating operators left the talks saying they had not secured the concessions they needed, only the Route Two Taxi Association initially announced it would extend the strike into a second day. Even that extension was cut short, however: by 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Route Two operators had also resumed normal service.

Route Two president Brenton Knights explained that consideration for stranded commuters and fatigue among drivers was the primary factor behind the decision to end the strike early, even though the association never received a formal written commitment from the transport ministry to address their core demands.

“We made the call to stand down because we saw commuters going through hardship we never intended to inflict, and we could see our own drivers and supporters were growing weary,” Knights told the Express. He added that the association recognized the need to step back, reassess its strategy, and pivot to a new approach rather than repeating tactics that had not delivered results.

“If you do the same thing over and over expecting different outcomes, that’s the definition of insanity. We know we need to regroup, reset, and come at this from a new angle,” Knights said. He noted that the association is keeping all options on the table moving forward, including continuing good-faith negotiations, pursuing legal action to force policy changes, and keeping what he called an “element of surprise” for future action if needed.

Knights pushed back on the position Zakour outlined during Monday’s talks, in which the minister claimed the ministry was already doing substantial work to address the industry’s concerns and that operators had little justification for their complaints. He also refuted Zakour’s claim that the Route Two association failed to raise these issues a decade ago, calling the assertion entirely false. “They are politicians, after all – it’s in their nature,” Knights added.

When the Express visited the red band maxi-taxi stand on St Joseph Road in Arima Tuesday morning, passenger volumes were far lower than on a typical weekday, with barely any commuters gathered at the stand in the early hours. Unlike normal operations where dozens of taxis queue for passengers, only occasional vehicles pulled in to pick up waiting riders before departing immediately.

One passenger waiting at the stand around 7 a.m. expressed relief that service had resumed, explaining she had waited for more than three hours on Monday to secure a ride to work. Roughly five minutes after she arrived, a maxi-taxi pulled into the stand, and the 15 waiting commuters quickly boarded to continue their journeys. Passing by the Arima Bus Terminus just after 6:50 a.m., the Express observed long lines of stranded passengers, but those lines had cleared significantly by 7:30 a.m. as more drivers returned to service.

In a public statement released to members and industry stakeholders Tuesday, the Route Two association thanked its supporters for their solidarity during the industrial action. The union noted that the strike came after months of patient diplomacy that had only produced empty verbal promises from government officials. “We remain unwavering on the issues that impact the daily livelihoods, personal safety, and long-term financial survival of every single red band maxi-taxi operator,” the statement read.

The association reaffirmed its commitment to securing its full set of just demands, noting that while other route associations chose to return to work early to give the ministry time to deliberate on their concerns, Route Two had made clear it would only soften its position after receiving binding, official written commitments.

Along with cracking down on unlicensed competition, the association’s list of demands includes raising the maximum highway speed limit for maxi-taxis from 65 km/h to 80 km/h – a change operators say will improve road safety and boost route productivity. Other asks include long-overdue upgrades to overcrowded transport hubs and bus terminals, the introduction of clear formal rules governing the transfer of vehicle licenses in cases of driver illness or death, the payment of outstanding arrears for school transport services provided by operators, and the creation of a structured, accessible contribution system for maxi-taxi drivers to pay into the country’s National Insurance System, as most are self-employed.

What was meant to be a three-day national shutdown by Trinidad and Tobago’s Association of Maxi-Taxis ground to an early halt on its second day Thursday, after nearly 40 percent of Route 3 operators defied the industrial action and returned to their routes, easing transport chaos that had disrupted thousands of commuters across Central Trinidad the previous day.

Unlike Monday, when the strike launched to demand government action on the maxi-taxi sector’s long-running grievances, Central communities including Chaguanas saw no large crowds of stranded, anxious commuters. Route 3, the region’s largest maxi-taxi network, connects the major population hubs of Chaguanas to Curepe, San Fernando, Port of Spain, and Arima/Talparo, making its service critical to daily travel for work, school, and medical care.

By Thursday afternoon, association leadership announced the remaining scheduled protest days would be scrapped entirely, a decision widely embraced by the Route 3 drivers already back on the road. Many drivers explained they could not in good conscience extend the disruption that disproportionately hurt vulnerable commuters, including pregnant people, schoolchildren, senior citizens, and patients traveling to public health appointments.

Financial pressure also played a central role in the mass break from the strike. While most drivers supported the association’s demands and backed a one-day work stoppage to draw attention to their issues, many said three consecutive days of lost income would be unsustainable, especially at month-end, one of the busiest periods for public transport. “It’s month-end and busy time, a lot of drivers can’t afford three days off the road,” Route 3 driver Clint Adams told local media.

Route 3 Maxi-Taxi Association President Vickash Kissoondath confirmed that after only 5 percent of green-band maxi operators reported for work on the first strike day, roughly 40 percent resumed service Thursday, amounting to around 300 buses moving thousands of commuters across the route network. He added that even higher participation was expected Friday, noting that the brunt of the strike had fallen entirely on the traveling public. “At the end of the day, our commuters are the ones who are suffering,” he said.

Kissoondath confirmed that calling off the strike was a pragmatic choice, as the government and Transport Minister Eli Zakour had refused to revise their stance on the sector’s core demands, leaving the protest “not worth it”. The association has long pushed for government intervention to address rising operating costs, rampant crime targeting drivers and passengers, and dangerously deteriorated road infrastructure. The association leader laid out the steep financial burden facing operators today: a new 25-seater maxi-taxi now costs roughly $900,000 Trinidad and Tobago dollars, while a 12-seater model runs around $500,000, not including additional costs for required security equipment and vehicle amenities. Persistently poor road conditions also force frequent, costly repairs that eat into driver profits, pushing overall operating costs steadily higher.

While no new formal meeting has been scheduled with Transport Minister Zakour, Kissoondath confirmed an advisory meeting with the ministry’s permanent secretary is set to take place at the end of the month to revisit the sector’s demands. Many drivers said they still stand behind future protest action if the government fails to address their concerns, but argued it was unfair to force commuters to bear the cost of state inaction on the association’s grievances.

For commuters across Central Trinidad, the early end to the strike brought widespread relief. Many told reporters they had endured significant stress over the prospect of another full day of transport chaos, with some scrambling to arrange private transport for Thursday after being stranded on Monday, particularly those commuting to work in Port of Spain, southern, and eastern Trinidad. Local communities in Central Trinidad reported far less disruption on Thursday than on the strike’s opening day.