Philipsburg:--- A group of taxi drivers from Dutch St. Maarten expressed dissatisfaction at the way they are being treated by the Dutch St. Maarten Taxi Drivers Association (DSTA). Founder of the DSTA, Vernon Denis Aventurin told SMN News that he along with some other older taxi drivers are the ones that established the DSTA in 1988.
On Thursday night, members of the DSTA called their election at the PMIA Hall to select new board members. Aventurin said he left St. Maarten for a number of years and when he returned to the island he went and registered at the DSTA office and paid his fees but he was not allowed to work at the AC Wathey Cruise Facilities. Aventurin said that on Thursday night he was not even allowed to vote because the DSTA board does not consider him to be a member of the Association. Aventurin managed to obtain a copy of the DSTA constitution and marched into the building to address the members of the DSTA regarding the association rules and bylaws that he helped draft. At the PMIA Hall Thursday evening was the CEO of the AC Wathey Cruise Facilities Mark Mingo. Mingo said every year he would attend the election of the DSTA because the Association has a concession with the Harbor. Some of the taxi drivers informed SMN News that while they are paying members of the DSTA, the current board members chose to lock them out while Mingo was addressing the taxi drivers before the election took place. During Mingo's speech was when Aventurin who was also locked out of the PMIA Hall opened the door and marched in to inform the drivers of their rights as members of the DSTA.
Several drivers who are holders of taxi permits wrote a letter to Mingo outlining their grievances most of which they said are unfair treatment from the DSTA. These drivers also signed a petition and have over 100 signatures all of which are active taxi drivers who claim that they want to work with the AC Wathey Cruise Facilities and not DSTA. "Here is my receipt I have been paying DSTA $40 per month for them to call me when they need taxis at the harbor on busy days and even though I am paying every month I never received one call from the DSTA. The incumbent President Otis Hughes told us he does not want anything to do with us and even though we are paying he does not want us to work at the harbor." The group of taxi drivers also dispatched a letter to the Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation, and Telecommunication Romeo Pantophlet informing him of their concerns as legal taxi drivers and tax payers. The taxi drivers said that even though they are paying $40 to DSTA to be able to work on busy days at the port, the DSTA has a schedule of whom they will call on busy days and these persons have to pay $10 per day when they are called to work at the AC Wathey Cruise Facility. They stated in their letter to the Minister of TEATT and the CEO of AC Wathey Cruise Facilities that they are extremely angry and frustrated at the unfair treatment and discrimination by the incumbent President of the DSTA.
The drivers said on several occasions when there are six or more ships in port they have to literally go to the harbor and beg for a job. Another driver said he submitted his documents to the DSTA over six months now and to date they have not accepted him to be a member of the DSTA. He said that he would go to the harbor and work on busy days and even though he has a vehicle that carries six passengers he is placed in the sprint line where he could only get short jobs. The taxi driver who prefers to remain anonymous said that other drivers who are close friends with the board members of the DSTA and has vehicles like his are working in the tour lines where they are able to make more monies. "Those that get that opportunity are friends of the DSTA board members." Several taxi drivers stood outside the PMIA Hall while rain was pouring down to see how the DSTA board would handle the election process. Up to 9pm the election process did not begin and no one knew who was postulating for what position.