Business slack for taxi owners in Lautoka

Business is reportedly slack for some taxi owners and drivers in Lautoka City. Some taxi owners and drivers told the Fiji Sun that business was normal until late last year when more taxi permits were issued.

“There were a little more than 400 taxis in Lautoka before but after the issuance of more permits around October last year, there are about 1500 taxis now,” said one taxi owner.

“It’s very hard for taxi owners and drivers to fetch the income which they once used to enjoy because of the number of taxis for a small place like Lautoka.

“We pay $25 every month as the base fee, and also a business licence fee every year but there are some zone taxis which don’t pay anything.

“These taxis come and park in our base and when we come back after dropping off a passenger, then we can’t park at our base.

“Some taxis are even going for $150 a week contract now but still some drivers are finding it hard to meet the contract and get their income.”

A taxi driver for the past 16 years said it would be better for him to look for some other job to put food on his family’s table.

Another driver said he was lucky that his wife and two sons were working and he had his own house.

“If I was working alone, then I don’t know what would have happened,” he said.

Fiji Taxi Association president Raben Bhan Singh said taxi drivers and owners could not make comments in the media under the association’s new constitution.

Mr Singh said the association members could be disciplined for making comments in the media. However, he said there were 36 base taxis in the area where the drivers and taxi owners were complaining from. “Private cars have stopped operating as zone taxis are in now and they provide back-up to the base taxis,” said Mr Singh who is also president of the Lautoka Taxi Association.