Home News Local news Senate Deregulates Taxis

Senate Deregulates Taxis

3

Licensed V.I. taxi drivers will be able to lend their taxis to anyone with a U.S. Virgin Islands drivers license for personal use and to any licensed taxi driver for taxi and personal use, respectively, if two bills approved by the Legislature Wednesday are signed into law.

The measures, both sponsored by Sen. Alicia "Chucky" Hansen, have strong support among taxi drivers, who testified in committee hearings it was their right to do as they pleased with their own vehicles.

V.I. Taxicab Association Executive Director Judith Wheatley testified against the two measures during committee hearings, saying St. Thomas already has large numbers of unregulated gypsy cabs and these two measures would make it effectively impossible to enforce regulations requiring taxi drivers be licensed.

During session Wednesday, several senators raised concerns about the bill to allow lending cabs for personal use, questioning how it could be enforced.

Sen. Terrence "Positive" Nelson said he would support the measure "because it is what you (taxi drivers in the audience) want. … But I feel strongly sometime in the near future y’all are going to be coming back asking for some changes because there will be people picking up fares."

Sen. Craig Barshinger offered an amendment saying if the vehicle is loaned for personal use, the taxi dome light must be "totally covered, secured by tape, magnet or other means." Barshinger said he wanted something to make it possible to enforce the law, and the "off duty" light or sign was insufficient because it can be turned on or off at a moment’s notice.

Several senators found this extremely funny, with Sen. Patrick Sprauve giving exaggerated, dramatic belly-laughs several times when Barshinger spoke. Sen. Louis Hill laughingly said measures like Barshinger’s are why the public has a low view of the Legislature, "because sometimes we suggest and pass into law ridiculous things. You are going to propose that we put into law that you put tape on a sign? Tape? I mean come one. There is a sign that says off-duty. If it is off duty, Ms. Wheatley will issue a $1,000 fine."

Hansen got angry at the proposal, shouting, "Who the (expletive) do you think you are?" to Barshinger. She objected to the proposal, saying, “You are asking someone to go onto their taxi and tape something."

She also said the suggestion any taxi driver would ever violate the rules was offensive and that taxi drivers can be trusted.

Before the vote on the amendment, Barshinger said he had just heard from Nelson there are commercially produced covers that can be purchased to go over the taxi lights, and that would be a reasonable alternative. The amendment failed on a 6-6 vote.

Voting for Barshinger’s amendment were Barshinger, Nelson, Sens. Neville James, Nereida "Nellie" Rivera-O’Reilly, Usie Richards and Ronald Russell. Voting nay were Hansen, Hill, Sens. Carlton "Ital" Dowe, Louis Hill, Patrick Sprauve, Alvin Williams and Janette Millin-Young. Sen. Sammuel Sanes abstained. Sen. Celestino White was absent on medical leave. Sens. Shawn-Michael Malone was absent.

The Legislature approved an amendment from Hansen clarifying some language in the bill.

Voting for the bill as amended were Dowe, Hansen, Hill, James, Malone, Nelson, Russell, Sprauve, Williams and Millin-Young. Voting nay were Barshinger, O’Reilly and Richards. White and Malone were absent.

The bill to allow taxi drivers to lend or lease their vehicles to other taxi drivers for commercial use was approved, after the Legislature adopted an amendment from Dowe to make the taxi medallion holder liable for any accidents or problems, unless the medallion holder produces a valid lease between the driver and the medallion owner. All senators present voted yea. White and Malone were absent.

3 COMMENTS

  1. SERIOUSLY! Here is the proof that our Senators are IGNORANT as well as DELUSIONAL !
    I do not ever want to get into any taxi without knowing whether it is “borrowed” or not.
    NO Thanks! Do you want someone driving you around in a taxi who is not licensed and trained?
    It’s bad ebough being driven around by someone that actually is a taxi driver. Have these moronic senators considered the liability issues surrounding this lending of vehichles for all concerned?
    I think Barsinger is right on and these other idiots are once again PANDERING to the taxi vote and not doing their job of protecting the PUBLIC!

    The public has a right to know who they are getting as a driver when they step into a taxi.
    May as well hire the gypsy cabs or legalize them,in that case!

    Deregulation is going to cause more problems than it solves and when the you know what, hits the fan, these same senators will be ducking for cover and finger pointing.

    It really sickens and disgusts me that because Barsinger is WHITE, he is constantly singled out for others senators rudeness. Chucky is the one who needs to shut the (expletive) up.
    All the Senators need to stop playing the race card with Barsinger and whether they like each other or not, show some RESPECT@

  2. VERY WELL STATED ALANA.
    Everyone knows that with this, “chuckie” will have a free pass in the next election. Get the Taxi driver vote and its a lock, shame on this be#*ch. We certainly don’t need taxis parading in the streets when THEY ARE NOT IN SERVICE! PERIOD! What about the ROAD TAX!!!!! IT’s BS!!
    As far as discerning whether or not they ARE in service as the GOOD senator Barshinger proposed, GET A CLUE SENATORS, some decorum and professionalism would be in order, especially you MR. Hill, we used to have quite regard for you. But, just in “Cultural” fashion, one laugh and you got the whole “GANG” going off on a tangent. They should be ASHAMED, absolutely ridiculous and disgusting reaction, especially when obviously he was going to vote FOR it with some sort of amendment for austerity. The people need to stand up NOW and get rid of the garbage that seems to keep coming to the surface. Besides most of the taxi drivers are drunk most of the time….MORE REGULATION, LESS TAXIS!! Better for tourism, better for all.

  3. Just who is going to account for the money taken in by borrowed Taxi’s and those drivers?
    I think all taxi’s should have meters and be accountable for the taxes on the CASH money
    they make.
    Is this a freebie so the “borrowers do not pay taxes on the CASH money they bring home?
    What insurance company in their right mind, would allow a taxi to be “borrowed.”
    What legislative body, in their right mind would pass this piece of JUNK legislation?
    Do the people who ‘Borrow” the taxi’s actually know how to drive them.

    Additionally, if Taxi’s are deregulated, who is accountable?

    Deregulation should mean they get to cough up ROAD TAX, just like everyone else does, especially since they are the ones hogging the roads and digging them up most of the time. Just look at the stretch accessing Drake’s Seat.

    These are just a few of the questions that need anwsering.

    Our Senators are padding their votes and pockets at the continued expense of the public. Enough!

Leave a Reply to alana Cancel reply

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here