Taxis refuse to go to airport, Minister Ihusan says Govt will maintain stance

Following the government's decision to station Police officers at Velana International Airport (VIA)'s taxi queue after complaints of taxis over charging or refusing passengers based on destination became prevalent, the number of taxis queueing up at the airport has significantly decreased.

Previously private cars and taxis operated by foreigners also accepted trips from the airport, but with round the clock officers stationed advising taxi drivers to adhere to the regulations, the scene has changed.

With the lack of available taxis, Saturday night saw a large queue of passengers waiting for a cab to get home. Some stood as long as an hour until well after midnight waiting for a taxi, local reports say.

Local media outlet 'Mihaaru' questioned Minister of Homeland Security Ali Ihusan on the matter during a press conference held on Sunday, to which the Minister said that the complaints were brought to his attention yesterday.

He added that the matter is being resolved in coordination with Maldives Airport Company Limited (MACL) which runs the airport, Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) as well as the Ministry of Transport.

Minister Ihusan stressed that the government will be implementing the law and will not stand back just because certain people are unhappy with the situation. Taxi drivers will also have to abide by the regulations and the government will not have it any other way, he said.

"We don't have the intention of letting things go any how as before," the minister warned.

Transport Ministry commenced work to resolve the VIA taxi issues after complaints regarding the airport's taxi queue began to rise. Some of the common complaints include drivers only wanting to travel to certain destinations, bringing other passengers on board while another paying passenger is already in the taxi, and overcharging customers beyond the prices set by the Ministry.