– yellow code deadline extended to January, 2011
Taxi operators not attached to a service are encouraged to join the pool of cabs that are participating in the yellow cab arrangement, and stand to benefit from comfortable offers that were yesterday made public.
Following a meeting with President Bharrat Jagdeo and members of the Taxi Service Association, the following concessions were extended to encourage taxis to spray in corporate yellow. : a 25 percent reduction in excise tax charged on vehicles, imported for registration as a yellow cab

: a ten-year waiver on motor vehicle licences fee paid by registered yellow cabs

: a ten-year waiver on fitness fees for yellow cabs.

Yesterday’s meeting was followed by a joint statement which agreed to an extension of the deadline for corporate yellow to January 1, , for cars attached to taxi services and an optional offer for taxis not associated with services to spray in yellow.
President of the Taxi Services Association Patrick Brassington was present at the meeting which also included Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Manniram Prashad and Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee.
Brassington told the Government Information Agency (GINA) that the January 1, 2011, extension is final and catered for all taxis in Guyana to be part of the new arrangement that seeks to formalize the hire car operation in Guyana.
“He (President) wanted to give everybody a timeframe so that they can come into yellow freely,” Brassington said, explaining that finance has been the main hindrance to their efforts.
Asked about the response by the operators about the new agreement, Brassington said it was “seen as very fruitful” and a tremendous benefit that will offset more than just the cost of spraying the car.
“The President hit them off their feet. They had no response at the time. Nobody expected this but everybody was very happy and left satisfied,” Brassington said.
The Taxi Services Association members are Indian Chief, Patrick’s, Mid-west, West Side, G/T Express, Norman’s, Sheriff, GR, Diplomatic, Silver Line, Harbour Light and Adrian Taxi Service.
The colour code agreement emerged out of a meeting in November 2009 at the Guyana International Conference Centre, where President Jagdeo outlined Government’s intention to have all motor vehicles plying the hire car  trade painted the same colour.
At that meeting, a number of proposals were discussed, including installation of meters to determine mileage and cost, uniforms, installation of flex glass, no passengers in the front seat, installation of the service’s official logo, and repainting all taxis in one common colour by August this year. At a second meeting in June this year a further extension was granted. (GINA)