Unprofessional Drivers Condemned in Labasa
The Labasa Taxi Association general secretary, Sujit Sharma, has condemned taxi drivers who used their taxis for “unprofessional and inappropriate reasons.”
His comments came after the recent incident where a taxi driver allegedly stabbed his girlfriend at a secluded place in Labasa on December 16.
Mr Sharma said there are rules for how a public service driver should behave and conduct themselves in front of customers.
“We have previously reported drivers to Police who had engaged in drug trafficking incidents and other offences,” he said. Mr Sharma said all offences were
directed to the Police for intervention as they were best positioned to apprehend offending drivers. He said the taxi environment was not an ideal place to vent out one’s frustration as this was ethically wrong considering their PSV status quo.
Mr Sharma also said such inappropriate acts by some drivers painted a negative image of the hard work and customer-reliant services the industry offered to the public.
“We are PSV drivers and it is our role to serve our customers with a safe environment,” he said. Mr Sharma also cautioned drivers to ensure their own safety and also of their customers.
“I advise drivers to also keep a close watch on customers who are under the influence of alcohol and
behaving strangely, to avoid being victims of assault and robbery,” he said
Taxi driver, Avinesh Vinay Kumar, shared similar sentiments and condemned actions of violence against passengers or any other person in a PSV vehicle. Mr Kumar said parents must closely monitor their children and not blame drivers when accidents happened.
“Jaywalking must be discouraged and authorities must strictly monitor people breaking the law,” he added.
He cautioned drivers to keep a close watch on suspicious individuals who might show signs of abuse and assault.