Public Transportation is provided by a government run
bus service (known as the Public Transport Service
Commission or PTSC), privately owned mini-buses (locally
known as maxi-taxis) as well as privately owned cars.
Maxi-taxis and some cars carry passengers along fixed
routes for a fixed fare, although cars are slightly more
expensive for similar routes carried by maxi-taxis
because of their much smaller passenger capacities.
Travellers can also negotiate with car taxi drivers to
go "off-route" for short distances for an additional
charge if one's destination is not exactly on the car
taxi's route. Car taxis are not allowed to utilise the
Priority Bus Route however, and as such maxi-taxis and
buses are preferable for speedily entering and exiting
the cities (especially Port of Spain) during rush hour
(7am-9am and 4pm-6pm). In Port of Spain all maxi-taxis
and buses heading out of the city are centrally housed
in the transportation hub known as "City Gate". In all
other locations and for Port of Spain Intra-city
transportation taxi-stands are scattered at various
streets of the town or region, and after sunset some of
these taxi-stands may change location, although this
changed location is also fixed. Recently there has also
been a growth in popularity of American-style taxi-cabs
which do not work along a fixed route and can be booked
for specific times for specific journeys. They are
several times more expensive than fixed-route public
transport vehicles, however their prices are still well
within the budget of budget-wary tourists and
professionals who frequently call upon their services.
Railways: There is a minimal agricultural
railroad system near San Fernando, but railway service
was discontinued in 1968. (The small-guage agricultural
railroad was shut down in the late 1990s).




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