THE Government is preparing to reopen the taxi permit disbursement system soon with major policy changes underway, including a return to the base and stand system.
At a press event in Tavua on Wednesday Waisea Naioba Konataci of Toko, Tavua, questioned the timeline for the permits to be opened and raised concerns about his previous application for a minibus permit being rejected by the Land Transport Authority’s (LTA) Valelevu branch.
“My base provided by LTA is near the village and far from town,” he said.
Transport and Public Works Minister Ro Filipe Tuisawau confirmed the process would be underway shortly.
“In general, the taxi permits will be open soon, probably within a month or a month and a half,” he said.
“Everything will be published in terms of the requirements.
“A lot of you landowners want to have your base on your land. You can have your base on your land but it needs the approval of the mataqali, the yavusa and a letter from the provincial office.”
Mr Tuisawau said the establishment of taxi stands would also be determined by the amount of people residing in the area and the demand for access to transportation.
The authority’s Manager Regulations , Samuela Veitala, explained the legislative changes underpinning the permit re-opening.
“It was passed in Parliament, the change in law, to change from the open rank system to revert to the base and stand,” he said.
“The Cabinet had also made further minor legislation to determine the restoration of the regulation for taxi base and taxi stand the OTRS or Open Taxi Rank System will be dissolved.”
Mr Veitala outlined the process for establishing a taxi stand in villages and on leased land.
“If you want to apply from various villages to establish an association, a village meeting should be held, the minutes prepared.
“We have an MOU with the iTaukei Affairs Board, your minutes from the village meeting take it to the Roko Tui and the support letter given by the Roko Tui is the approval to set up a taxi stand in the village.”
