Some buses in the Transport Augmentation Programme at the Fairchild Street Bus Terminal. (Picture by Reco Moore.)

News

on March 7, 2021

TAP operators: Fee hurting us

Article by RACHELLE AGARD

Members of the Transport Augmentation Programme (TAP) are lobbying Government to either abolish or reduce the current 12.5 per cent participation fee that is deducted from their gross earnings.

Last year, Government assisted TAP operators by waiving the fee from April to November, but reinstated it as the economy picked up towards Christmas.

Executive member of the TAP Committee, Kristian Yearwood, told the Sunday Sun they had a very good and open communication channel with the Transport Board and its board of directors, but to date, their request remained pending.

“With the increased COVID-19 cases in December, things took a sudden turn for the worse. It is at this juncture that Government recommenced its 12.5 per cent deduction from TAP operators while new COVID-19 restrictions were being placed on the country, inclusive of work-from-home and stay-at-home orders. Public transport was also limited to 60 per cent passenger capacity . . . . as the country battled the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said. (RA)

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