PHILIPSBURG--The recent issuance of 114 taxi, bus and tour bus licences by outgoing Minister of Transportation Franklin Meyers from May 8 to 10 has caused quite a ruckus among the various Taxi Associations and Bus Association in St. Maarten.
Meyers met with the taxi associations on more than one occasion about a phased approach regarding the issuance of licences. This approach called for government to issue licences 10-15 at a time over a period of time, under a committee that was to be put in place to oversee this approach.
The agreement was made to have the four taxi associations submit 40 names for the phased issuances and government would obtain 43. The names, which included renewals, those who have been on a long waiting list and those exchanging taxi licences for tour-group licences, were submitted by all associations.
Such a deal was made to facilitate and improve the current situation of the taxi associations; hence the deal with the minister, Dutch St. Maarten Taxi Association President Ottis Hughes explained Monday.
Hughes said the associations had met with Meyers on two occasions and it had been agreed that a committee would be set up and would meet every other Friday. Discussions in these meetings were to set solutions to "clean up the taxi system in terms of proper structure and adequate parking spaces for the taxis and taxi stands," Hughes said.
"The island is already saturated with taxis," Airport Taxi Association President Jean Samuel said. "So many licences being issued in such a short period of time causes an over-saturation to an already tight space allotted to taxis at the harbour and the airport."
In addition, the committee was to do proper research on individuals who applied for taxi licences and curb drivers who tended to lease their licences to other drivers, making it a business, Samuel explained.
Due to the collapse of government, time did not permit for a committee to be established or in-depth discussions to be held to amend the current conditions of taxi drivers. As a result, 62 new taxi licences were issued, a number that would be dispersed over a period of five years.
The associations do not disagree with the fact that licences have been issued. Their disagreement lies in the manner in which these licences were issued, as it was not according to the original agreement, and in those to whom the licences were issued.
In protesting these issuances, the taxi associations will request that government place a moratorium on the issuance of taxi licences. "I hope that government can look at public transportation as a business and not for political gain, [and] cap it with a moratorium," Hughes concluded.
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