A multi-agency taskforce has been established to oversee the phased reallocation of taxi bases as the responsibility shifts to municipal councils and local authorities.
Minister for Public Works, Transport and Meteorological Services, Ro Filipe Tuisawau confirmed the initiative was driven jointly by the Land Transport Authority (LTA), the Department of Transport, and the Office of the Assistant Minister for Public Works.
The taskforce is liaising with the Ministry of Local Government and stakeholders to ensure the transition remains orderly.
Ro Filipe said the scope of the reallocation extended beyond urban boundaries.
“They are closely liaising with the local governments, and also not only local governments, but outside local government areas in terms of the rural bases, with stakeholders such as the provincial councils, TLTB, and the various mataqali who own the land where the proposed taxi stands,” he said.
Ro Filipe said while some operators had already completed the transition, others were still in the process of being registered with the LTA.
Addressing concerns regarding operators who may struggle to find a base, the minister assured that the open taxi system would not be abolished overnight. Instead, the base system and the open system would both operate concurrently to prevent industry chaos.
“The rural taxi bases for the local government, it’s managed by the taskforce. It doesn’t mean that we immediately do away with open system. It’s running concurrently, so that it is not chaotic, it’s done in an orderly and rational manner.”
Ro Filipe said he had confidence the final framework would accommodate all operators, emphasising that a “strictly based system was impractical for high-traffic zones.
“I’m confident that at the end of it, all operators will be catered for. It won’t be a totally based system strictly, because there will be some areas, for example in city centres.”
“For practical reasons, for operational reasons, we’ll still need to be open areas for the convenience of the public.”
The reallocation is expected to continue with ongoing stakeholder consultations.
