Operators of taxis, route taxis, and minibuses have been warned to be extra vigilant during the upcoming las’ lap Crop Over weekend, amid fears that they could be targets of criminal attacks.A worried chairman of the Alliance Owners of Public Transport (AOPT) Roy Raphael on Thursday issued the caution as he also called on Commissioner of Police Richard Boyce to put more patrols on the roads to help protect taxi drivers and other Public Service Vehicles (PSVs). He said taxi drivers are particularly vulnerable to crime, especially when the sun goes down, as he noted that the recent upsurge in gun violence and daring robberies is discouraging some PSV operators from working at night. “The problem is that some of our members are still afraid to work after a certain time at night. We have already asked our members to put certain measures in place to deal with the whole question of their safety. We also want to have a meeting with the Commissioner of Police to see if we can have more patrols, particularly during the festive season, so that the taxi operators can remain safe,” Raphael told Barbados TODAY.
