President of the Route Two Maxi Taxi Association Brenton Knight has no issue with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s decision to revoke 625 Priority Bus Route (PBR) letter passes by July 1.
Speaking with Newsday by phone on May 23, Knight said the Prime Minister is “well within her rights and her purview” to act if the passes were distributed without proper documentation.
He stressed if the PM investigations show the passes were not issued in accordance with the proper procedures, then the association has no issue with the PM taking corrective action.
Persad-Bissessar made the announcement during a post-Cabinet press briefing at the Cabildo Building, Office of the Attorney General, where she also criticised the former administration for what she described as the indiscriminate distribution of letter passes for the PBR.
She alleged in some instances, the passes were handed out without the required paperwork, and entire families were granted exemptions.
“A simple thing like a bus route pass was being handed out like Kiss cakes and cookies. Hops bread, bake... It wasn’t roti they were giving out. This was like gifts with no merit,” Persad-Bissessar remarked.
Persad-Bissessar stressed letter passes, are intended for temporary use, typically less than a year, and are granted under the direction of the Minister of Works and Transport. According to her, there are currently 625 such passes in circulation, far more than originally intended.
“In many cases, one household received multiple passes: husband, wife, and even children,” Persad-Bissessar said. “This is not what the system was designed for.”
Knight emphasised his association has long expressed concerns over the presence of unauthorized vehicles on the PBR, saying it's the association main concern.
“That’s always been the issue, not the maxi taxis,” he explained. “It’s the ministry’s responsibility to manage how passes are distributed. Our main concern remains the misuse of the PBR by unauthorised vehicles.”
Knight added if data shows improper pass usage contributes to traffic congestion on the restricted-access roadway, then decisive action is necessary.
“I’ve always believed the PBR has been used as a political football,” he said. “If the PM sees the need to overhaul the system , she can do that, it's her right,” Knights added.
While he welcomes increased police presence on the PBR, Knight also called on the public to act responsibly. “If you're not authorised to use the bus route, stay off it,” he urged.
He further raised concerns about the road-worthiness and training of some private drivers compared to professional maxi taxi operators.
“Part of our licensing process includes defensive driving training. How many regular drivers take defensive driving courses?” he asked.
Newsday obtained the 625-name pass list, commonly referred to as the “minister’s list,” on May 23. This list allows individuals approved by a government minister to bypass the usual approval process.
The list includes athletes from various sports, performers
