By Robert Andre Emmanuel
Gregory Athill has been elected as President of the National Taxi Association, succeeding long-time President Daniel Tittle.
The election marks a new chapter for the association, which advocates for hotel taxi operators across the country.
Athill, who has been an active member of the association for several years, including holding the position of General Secretary, expressed his gratitude and excitement at the opportunity to lead.
“I’m really grateful for the individuals that came out and supported me; we’ve had for the past 11 years the same President but a lot of things weren’t going the way they should, we were lagging a bit in relation to representation for the organisation and doing things to benefit the people,” Athill said, emphasising the importance of building on the legacy established by the pioneers of the association, which was founded in 1965.
The new executive, which was elected Monday night, includes Vice President Denley Millette, General Secretary Sherrica Murraine, Assistant Secretary Patrick Browne, Treasurer John Weston, Assistant Treasurer Carl Ronnie Roberts, Public Relations Officer Ishorn Charles, Education Officer Kyser Francis, and Project Coordinator Cordel Anthony.
Top on the agenda for the new executive team will be reiterating to the government the concerns that taxi operators have with the number of private operators (A- and C-plate vehicles) that provide transport services for tourists, and the surge in crime which could potentially impact taxi operators, many of whom handle cash transactions.
Athill stated the need to engage the government and the relevant authorities to find solutions that protect the legitimate trade.
“It’s something we’ve been speaking about for years with the government, and I think we have been putting pressure on the government, the police and the Transport Board, so I think that with a new, vibrant, young executive, I think we [will] have the support of the general membership of the organisation and also of the government,” he explained.
The new President reflected on the past work of the outgoing President, Daniel Tittle, who served in the role for just over a decade.
“He has held the organisation together, and for eight years out of the 11 years that I worked with him as the General Secretary, both of us represented the organisation at a lot of meetings.
“He was one of the persons who set out to join all of the taxi organisations together, so because of him, we created the Public Transportation Union.
“So that’s one of his legacies—being a catalyst to getting that group formulated, and so we were able to have consultations with the government, moving [our voice] from an organisation of 200 persons to an amalgamation of 800-plus individuals under one banner,” Athill expressed, citing the gas voucher initiative implemented by the government to ease taxi operators’ expenses during the increase in gas prices.
The executive is expected to meet officially for the first time today, focusing on ensuring a smooth transition from the previous executive.
Athill, however, said that moving forward, there would be conversations with the head drivers at the various hotels.
“It’s about the team, it’s about everybody coming together, and putting their ideas together so we move forward,” he said.
In addition to the ongoing issue with private, unaffiliated taxi operators, the incoming President spoke on the recent crime spike.
“We don’t want to be targeted,” Athill said, acknowledging the risks faced by drivers, especially those working late hours.
The association will also advocate for better access to firearm licences to aid in self-defence, while cautioning against creating a “Wild West” environment.
“Most of our taxi drivers are now moving into credit card machines as a way of protecting themselves as merchants, and so it’s something that we speak about all the time,” he added.
