A REVIEW of the taxi base allocation will be completed later this year, says Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama.

He said taxi bases that were on offer would be tendered.

“There’s still a review for taxi bases and I think it will be completed around April or May and when that is done we will be able to determine which taxi bases will be allocated to which driver,” he said.

“The tender process is for transparency purposes and giving equal opportunity to everyone.”

The PM was responding to queries made by Matavolivoli landowners during a talanoa session in Nadi.

Matavolivoli Co-operative president Timoci Koroiqica said the business wanted to acquire a taxi base at Matavolivoli Stage 2.

“There are 23 of us, including landowners of Matavolivoli from the mataqali o Vunamaoli,” Mr Koroiqica said.

“We have been trying to acquire the taxi base at the Matavolivoli Stage 2 subdivision.

“We made a request to the LTA, but were informed that the process would be tendered. We fear that the tender could be given to someone who has the money to acquire the tender.

“Our request is if there could be some assistance from Government to allow us to be given the taxi base.”

LTA chief executive officer Naisa Tuinaceva said the law was clear about the processes of acquiring a taxi base.

“It says that the base has to be put on tender,” he said. “That is the lawful process that we have been following and the process we will stick to.”