Taxi drivers have called on the government to review the new fares announced yesterday, and to stop intervening in the provision of taxi services.
Taxi drivers have called on the government to review the new fares announced yesterday, and to stop intervening in the provision of taxi services.
In a press conference held today by taxi drivers, a representative said that while prices of all services have risen in the past three years, it is unacceptable that the government is exerting pressure on taxi drivers to lower their fares.
"Salaries have increased. Prices of all the services have gone up. All commodities are more highly priced now. But the government insists that the prices of taxi services must decrease. Our demand, too, was to bring a favourable change to our prices," the taxi driver said.
He said that so far, their demand had not been to raise prices, and that this remained so even at present. Instead, they had asked for the current prices to be maintained until metered taxis could be introduced, and to allow the prices reflected on taxi applications to be charged.
"The government does not offer any subsidies to us in this work. There is no service provided by a State owned company that does not get a government subsidy. We get our own cars, service it ourselves, find parking spaces ourselves... there's no dedicated parking spaces provided by the government," the taxi driver continued.
The taxi drivers alleged that the government is trying to intervene in the provision of taxi services, including planning to contract MTCC to provide taxi services in the capital.
They called on President Dr Mohamed Muizzu to ensure the government refrains from intervening in the provision of this service, and to allow them to continue charging the same prices as before.