Public Utilities, Civil Aviation and Transportation Minister Robin Yearwood has put drivers who use private vehicles to provide taxi services on notice that they will be arrested and charged.
During his budget presentation on Wednesday, Yearwood said drivers who pick up tourists at the airport could be putting all the parties in danger.
“We do have a problem here. We are not going to allow any ‘A’ plates unless it’s a family car taking their family to the airport, to come there. We will hold them and charge them one time there.
“It is dangerous. If a tourist rides in one of those cars and they get damaged and those people are not in a position to pay for those damages, then it is going to come on the government as to why we allowed this and allowed that. We have to stop it and stop it now,” the minister said.
Meantime, Yearwood spoke of a number of initiatives and projects the Antigua and Barbuda Transport Board (ABTB) will be undertaking this year.
“We intend to open the vehicle repair and maintenance workshop up at the Transport Board. We have everything in place but we might be delaying it for three months to assist with the Magistrates Court.
“What we are also going to do, we are going to tag unpaid traffic tickets to persons’ driver’s licence,” he added.
However, he did not give further details on the new ventures.