DR. PETER Phillips, Minister of National Security, has agreed to meet with the National Association of Taxi Operators (NATO), after the group apologised for an ultimatum it issued on the Minister for a meeting.
Donovan Nelson, communications consultant for the National Security Ministry, said Dr. Phillips had accepted the apology and expressed a willingness to meet with them at a time appropriate and convenient to both sides.
However, he said, it would be unlikely that the Minister will be meeting with the taxi association on or before March 5, as it had demanded. This, Mr. Nelson said, had been conveyed to the general secretary of the association.
In a letter to Dr. Phillips dated February 23, Collin Manning, president of NATO, expressed regret at the ultimatum issued demanding a meeting without prior communication.
"Please be advised that the ultimatum has been withdrawn after discussion with our security committee, central executive and the Transport Authority...," the letter said.
The association said it was demanding an urgent meeting with the Minister to discuss what it said was the 'vexed issue' of illegal taxis. Egerton Newman, the association's general secretary, said the problem had been allowed to continue for too long, and efforts to discuss it with National Security Ministry had been unsuccessful.
