Concern About Illegal Immigrants Driving Cabs

By Quincy Parker

Transport Minister Dr. Earl Deveaux met with dozens of taxi cab drivers early Tuesday morning to hear and address concerns, one of which was so-called illegal immigrants driving cabs, and the suggestion of corruption by some road traffic officials.

The concerns about the supposedly illegal immigrants ranged from the fact that some of them spoke practically no English, the immigrants’ purported lack of knowledge of Bahamian history, charging irregularities and allegations of improper conduct.

Drivers claimed that the Department of Road Traffic gave these supposedly illegal immigrants the public service drivers’ badges.

"They are illegal, so how do they get it?" drivers asked.

Road Traffic Controller Jack Thompson was also at the meeting, and when one of the drivers complained about illegal immigrants, he demanded that the names and cab numbers of anyone suspected of obtaining a license illegally be forwarded to him.

"We have a system in place – we’ve introduced this system over a year now – where in order for you to get a public service badge, you must present yourself before my panel for an interview and you are questioned on civics, we look at your appearance, we ask you some questions as to how you would deal in certain situations, and we have rejected quite a number so far," Mr. Thompson assured the drivers.

"So those ones who have those badges, I don’t know where they got them from. They couldn’t have gotten them from us and it couldn’t have been in recent times, because we have a system in place to make sure that we screen who we issue badges to."

Mr. Thompson reiterated that the drivers would have to bring the specific offenders to his attention for action to be taken.

"Please let me know who they are," he said.

Dr. Deveaux also weighed in on the subject, noting that frank discussions of the nature of the one conducted Tuesday morning usually lead to division, but that the need was to keep the goal of a better industry and a better Bahamas in mind.

"That allows me to admit that we have corruption in The Bahamas. It doesn’t change my view of The Bahamas. That allows me to admit that we have road traffic officers who are deficient in their competencies. It doesn’t change my view of the road traffic department," he said.

"It allows me to engage you in conversation that could be hard, but is based on the view that we are all striving for something better.

"If you look at that (public service driver’s) badge, Mr. Thompson (and others) may sign it. We’ve invested thousands of dollars in an upgraded computer system to make the security features harder to duplicate, but at the end of the day, this industry is your industry.

"If you have people in the industry that shouldn’t be there, and road traffic officers doing what they shouldn’t be doing, and you’re not prepared to talk to the controller then you should at least talk to me. If we need to change the controller, then let’s have that discussion. If we need to change the road traffic officers, let’s have that discussion, but give (Mr. Thompson) the responsibility to deal with his officers."

The minister urged taxi drivers to accept their part of the responsibility for protecting their own business, which he said involved more than simply identifying interlopers, but included protecting their turf, and not allowing those interlopers to invade in the first place.

He encouraged the drivers to be on the job in order to offer riders their services, and to be aggressive.

"You have to let that person know that they aren’t going to take your job," Dr. Deveaux said.

Other concerns raised by the cab drivers included a demand that national monuments and other areas of interest on taxi tour routes be better maintained, and the need for overflow parking so drivers wishing to work the Welcome Centre are not turned away because the call-up system is full.
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