It was a situation ripe for a confrontation on North Front Street this morning as the Belize City Council threatened to prevent unlicensed taxi drivers from entering the tourism village. And as we reported last night, those taxi drivers vowed to resist those attempts. But this morning things didn't come to a head because the City Council backed off from its hard line and won over the support of about 40 of the 85 members in the taxi union. But that still left 45 taxi drivers disgruntled and they made their frustration known.
Henry Gillett, Taxi Driver
"It is ridiculous, they are chancing us out here. It is a big problem right now. I cannot even go to the gate. I run taxi and I cannot even go to the gate."
This morning tourism police officers prevented Henry Gillett and about 45 other taxi drivers from soliciting tourists in front of terminal 4 because they aren't licensed tour guides. Raymond Shephard is the City Council's tourism and small business initiative officer. He says that if that taxi drivers want to work in the zone, they have to work by the rules.
Raymond Shephard, Belize City Council
"We have encouraged them and facilitated the process to get them to become trained guides."
Henry Gillett,
"If I get two people to go from here to Old Belize at US$10 per person, how in the world I can charge US$10 per person and then gasoline is already high and take a licensed tour guide with me in a taxi? I don't need a tour guide to drop you from point A to point B so that's the biggest scenario here."
Keith Swift,
The argument these taxi drivers are saying is that if they are going to take somebody to Old Belize, why do they need a tour guide license, they are not taking the person on a tour - it is from one point to another. Why do they need a tour guide license to do that?
Raymond Shephard,
"The regulation as it now stands does not make any provision for any taxi operator in this zone. The regulation clearly states that you must be equipped, not in these exact words, but you must be equipped with a tour guide license to do tourism related activities."
The taxi union's President John Pollard doesn't have a tour guide license but he took the course and today was allowed to solicit at the gate.
John Pollard, Becoming a Tour Guide
"Mr. Shephard came and worked along with us so to speak that the tour personnel who had took the course, those are the persons they are going to work with and so far we are working along with those persons, everything is going cool."
Keith Swift,
But all your members are still not happy.
John Pollard,
"They are not happy simply because like I mentioned yesterday some people were fortunate enough to take the test, who have the money. Who didn't have the money couldn't have taken the test. So the ones that already took the test are fortunate."
Daniel Dougal, Becoming A Tour Guide
"They gave us a break to let everyone go and take the tour guide test. Some don't really know to read and write good but we had tutors and everything so the tourists are for us. We need the tour guide test because we have people who didn't take the tour guide test, who don't have taxi, and they come out here and they cause problems against the tourism board. So I think the tourism board is doing the right thing. This morning they told us that all guides who took the tour guide test have an opportunity to get a break at the gate. Its not like the board didn't come and told us to go and take the test because later on in the future we will need it. I spent two months and a half, every evening from 4 until 8 in the class."
Keith Swift,
Did you take the course?
Henry Gillett,
"No I didn't take the course because I went to do something eels but it's ridiculous. The people who went to take the course, they didn't make it. Some people don't have money, some maybe don't have their education to do it, but the main issue is that they are chancing us out here. About 7 years I have been out here and now all of a sudden you need a tour guide to go with you in a taxi to run a cab from here to Old Belize. Its bias."
But Dennis Tillet is already a tour guide and still, he wasn't allowed in front of the gate.
Dennis Tillet, Licensed Tour Guide
"I got my license. From yesterday I was on the news and I am on the news again today. I came out here this morning. I need to eat but one thing I notice is that the President of the union which is out here, got to go three or four times and I am still behind the barrier, they are backing me down. They are keeping me from making my little money. So I just want the media to understand that this simpleness which these people are dealing with out here."
Keith Swift,
How many runs have you made this morning?
Dennis Tillet,
"Well I'll be real, I've only done one job since morning."
Keith Swift,
And on a regular day with two ships how many runs would you normally make?
Dennis Tillet,
"I good for four or five jobs for the day, good jobs but right now with the union which these people have here, it is the same man going up and up, over and over. They are getting all the jobs. I have my license Mr. Swift."
Raymond Shephard,
"The rotation system calls for X number of persons to be at this terminal to conduct their business. Those who are not part of that rotation must be congregated at a specific location. That has been communicated to them. If they don't adhere to that system, then in fact we will have to ask them to go to where they are supposed to be congregating."
Keith Swift,
And that's where?
Raymond Shephard,
"Well for right now, it is either across the street or some other location down there. Whenever these guests come through the terminal, the moment they see a lot of people congregating with their usual noise and so on, that is a deterrent and these people must understand that if they are going to protect their own business and if they are going to attract business to them then they must comply with the standards, they must comply with the expectations of the guests. So we are trying to help them to do more business. That is what this is all about; help our people to do more business but it must be done the right way."
And for now, at least it seems the right way will be with disenfranchised taxi drivers on one side of the street and tourism police officers on the other.
Raymond Sheppard from the City Council says that once the area in the vicinity of the Tourism Village is designated a tourism zone, anyone who wishes to work in the zone will have to be licensed. There was no indication as to when that will come into effect.
