LTA Probes Taxi Permit Transfer
Fiji Taxis Association general secretary Rishi Ram has requested the Minister of Transport to reverse all self-made laws as to safe guard the taxi and hire care industries.
The Fiji Taxi Association general secretary Rish Ram has requested the Minister of Transport to safeguard taxi and hire car industries as operators have invested a large amount of their savings into their vehicles “We humbly request for the Minister of Transport to reverse all such self-made laws as to safe guard the taxi and hire care industries at large before it breaks down as taxi operators have invested large amount of their savings to get their vehicle LTA standard,” Mr Ram said. The association is looking for answers in relations to transfer of Permit on Old Age grounds. Mr Ram said the Land Transport Authority no longer entertained the transfer of Public Service Vehicle permits on the ground of old age; 60 years and over. “LTA regulation states that the permit could be transferred on the side grounds and ever since the formation of LTA, hundreds of such transfer had been done accordingly,” he said.
“So far under the old age regulation, PSV operators had transferred their permits to their immediate family members or to anyone just by producing their birth certificates to the authority as stated in the regulation. “Under this new concept, the owner will have to pay a large fee to obtain medical report.” He said there was a large number of permit holders despite reaching 60 years who were physically fit and would not be in a position to get retirement which they had dreamed of if this continued. The Fiji Sun team contacted LTA authorities who did not wish to comment on this issue until the investigations were completed.