The Fiji Taxi Association took their plight for an increase in fare to the Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Professor Biman Prasad, at Ro Lalabalavu House yesterday.
Association general secretary Ashwin Lal said taxi operators needed an increase to match the increase in cost of living.
“The meeting was really good and we appreciate that the Government of the day has listened to the Fiji Taxi Association, and to the honourable Finance Minister, Mr Prasad who took his precious time out to be in the meeting and hear the voice and the concerns of the taxi operators,” Mr Lal said.
“In terms of the taxi industry, one of the major things we are facing right now is that the cost of living is getting higher day by day and fuel price is increasing every day. On top of that the parts, tyres, batteries, et cetera, have all gone up.
“For the past 12 or 13 years, the taxi fare has not increased and now we have requested the FCCC (Fijian Competition & Consumer Commission) on May 14, 2022, for the improvement of the taxi fare, but the only thing they said as a requirement, was a financial report of all the taxi operators.
“That’s the thing (financial report) we lodged with FRCS (Fiji Revenue and Customs Service), and I think that it is a conflict of interest if I asked for it from the individual operators. The Fiji Taxi Association has got no right, no powers to ask the individual operators to submit their financial report to us. They can only submit to FRCS.”
He said the FCCC had given an interim fare of $2 flat rate, $3 at night and $0.18 for waiting charge, but not all taxis had their meters calibrated to this.
“At the moment there are two types of taxi fares which are running in the industry. So, we requested from May 14, 2022, that there be only one fare and what has happened is that the FCCC just wants the financial reports from all the operators and because of this, they are not releasing the taxi fare.
“We’re just asking only for an increase by five cents so we can meet our cost of living.” Mr Lal said the association had more than 4000 members and the association’s annual general meeting (AGM) was yet to be confirmed, adding that it would go ahead once all affiliates had held theirs.
