BTOA On Ride-Sharing, Suggestions & More

The Bermuda Taxi Owners and Operators Association [BTOA] has outlined its stance on ride-sharing, proposed industry reforms, and raised urgent questions about the enforcement of existing PSV laws.

A spokesperson said, “BTOA represent All Taxi Owners and Operators of the PSV industry with advocacy, stakeholder collaboration, commercial partnerships, and policy developments. The organisation has over 200 active members who participate in various committees, mandates, initiatives, and roles related to the PSV Industry.

Bernews asked if the BTOA for their overall position on ride sharing and a spokesperson told us, “We don’t support, accept or agree to Uber, Lyft, Bolt, Island Go or any non-Bermudian-based dispatch company operating within Bermuda!

“We do support innovation, modernisation, and enforcement of the current industry structure and classes.

“BTOA has advocated for a simple solution -

• Centralised or Unified Dispatching service
  • All dispatch companies use 1 dispatching software, Drivers and Customers using 1 app!
  • All call-based jobs and app-based jobs are pooled into one platform which all drivers are assigned.
  • This allows for every taxi in the fleet to be available for every booking a customer makes.
  • This would reduce wait times, increase fleet availability across the island, and standardise the pricing structure.
  • This single system will also require TCD access to monitor and review every PSV vehicle and job on the platform [Transparency and reporting that isn't collected currently]
  • BTOA has gone a step further and developed our own platform for this purpose.

“Review or Transport Plan for more details on our Transport concept – https://btoa.bm/connecting-bermuda-driving-progress/

• Efficient enforcement of the current PSV laws & a Formal electronic complaints process will reduce many of the concerns the public has.
  • Develop a digital formal complaints process for customers to report PSV operators and Companies [Check TCD website, no formal process mentioned or provided]
  • It should provide a reference or tracking number
  • Provide a timeline for response and outcome, like the ombudsman office
  • Currently, the public has no formal way to file a complaint about taxi or dispatch companies outside of TCD call hours.
  • This leads to customer frustration and distrust with the industry, when customers have no complaints process to report rogue drivers or companies
  • You can review the BTOA Complaints process for how the idea should look – https://btoa.bm/submit-taxi-complaint/
  • If TCD acted on the laws currently on the books, such as:
  • Collect driver and dispatch data as the law states
  • Collect records of Taxi hours on the road, as the law states
  • Collect miles travelled during the year; this additional new data is to confirm drivers are using the vehicle for public service.
  • Provide public reports and statistics of industry performance quarterly
  • Taxi drivers who refuse short trips should be penalised or fined as the law states.
  • Taxi drivers who don’t subscribe to dispatch companies should be fined $1,400 per day, as the law states
  • Taxi drivers who violate the PSV code of conduct should be fined or penalised as the law states

“There is enough remit, legislation, and policy currently on the books that TCD, PSLVB, and the Transport Minister have to act on, but they won’t for some reason,

“These are the base laws that govern the operation of the PSV industry and clearly show the Transport Minister, TCD, and PSVLB have a remit to act on many concerns of customers today!

“They don’t need to bring new policies or a new class of vehicles when they cannot administer the industry with the laws that are currently on the books.

“If the acts below are followed, customer complaints would be addressed with data and evidence.”

#BermudaTaxiOwnersAndOperatorsAssociation #Ridesharing #Taxi

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