Despite predictions of over 20 000 visitors for the ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup, taxi operators at Grantley Adams International Airport said Friday that business has been virtually non-existent so far.
They are hopeful that customer numbers will pick up closer to the end of the month when Kensington Oval hosts the tournament finals.
When Barbados TODAY visited the airport taxi depot, numerous taxis were parked up and many drivers were passing time in the outdoor facilities.
Asked how business was going since the start of the month in light of the World Cup, the men and women flung off their hands, sucked their teeth or gave funny statements insinuating that something was off.
“Do you know what is leaving home at 6 a.m. and getting a job after 12 [noon] or 1 p.m. a day and that is the only job for the day? What World Cup is that?” asked Pedro Kellman.
“The place is dead, it is just as you see it here. We got we foot on the table, we eating mangoes, we playing cards, we playing dominoes. The only time we are getting a little relief is around three, four o’clock in the afternoon and then six-seven o’clock and work done,” he added, pointing out that the people coming in were either going to a hotel for vacation or visiting relatives.
“Nobody is coming for cricket; I have not dealt with a person coming for cricket yet,” he added, with others concurring.
His colleague Darren, who did not give his surname, said operators were hoping for more business closer to the finals.
“Things are still slow here but hopefully it should pick up, fingers and toes crossed,” he said.
Darren said taxi drivers were not facing pushback over increased fares, with customers understanding the impact of the high cost of living. Some fares had doubled but people were still tipping, he added.
Comparing the situation now to the Cricket World Cup in 2007, he said: “We were out to all even before the finals. It started off with a bang. On a good day back then, you could have gotten about seven or eight jobs daily. We started at seven o’clock and had jobs back-to-back. It was so busy that sometimes you had to refuse the jobs taking people to Kensington because we were focused on taking people to their respective hotels. But now, the men are grabbing at everything.”
Asked if the slow business was down to competition from ride-hailing service Pick Up Barbados, Darren replied: “No, not necessarily. It’s just that people aren’t coming in yet. Word is things will be busy for the finals, especially if England make it as the English spend money; 75 per cent of south coast hotels are meant to be full by mid-June too, so we’ll have to wait and see, and we’ll be ready.”
sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb
