Save Our Taxi Drivers

Since the Minister of Finance, Mr. Danny Faure, announced the rise in the price of petrol from Rs7.00 to R10.00 per litre and diesel from R5.00 to R10.00 per litre, Le Nouveau Seychelles Weekly’s office has been bombarded with phone calls from taxi operators in Victoria. The taxi drivers are complaining to us about the rise in the price of fuel and the effect it is having on their business as they are getting less and less clients. They say that their income is not enough for them to even support their family.

One went as far as to complain that since the announcement of fuel rise the amount of unlicensed taxis “taxi pirate” visits to the station where licensed taxis are stationed have increased. 

In interviewing one driver Le Nouveau Seychelles Weekly has learnt that drivers have even phone the police about this situation and nothing has been done. One of our reporters paid a visit to the Victoria Station next to Codevar building at around 9.30pm one evening where he was challenged by a driver of a ‘taxi pirate’ who was stationed there like a licensed driver in the same spots where legal taxi drivers and their vehicles are stationed. On approaching the driver of the ‘taxi pirate’ and asking him what are you doing here, he told our reporter that ‘ Msye mon osi mon bezwen viv dan sa pei, akoz kot stand pirate napa lavi, mon bezwen vinn rod en kours la pou mwan ganny en pti larzan, pou mwan sony mon fanmir akoz ou konnen msye ki manyer sa lavi i dir dan sesel’.

We, at Le Nouveau Seychelles Weekly, feel that the Police Force should do regular checks at the Victoria taxi station. The police should ensure that the licensed taxi drivers are protected at all times and should prevent unlicensed taxes from abusing services reserved for licensed taxis only. 

Licensed taxis bring in  revenues in our economy and they have heavy tax burdens and high insurance and road fund licence taxes to pay. They also have to pay for the high cost of a taxi metre. Whilst there has been a drop in clients because of the sharp increase in fuel cost, they need all the help they can get. Taxi Pirate get off the backs of licensed taxi drivers. The police should also do their jobs and help the licensed taxi drivers to get rid of the taxi pirate!

September 21, 2007
Copyright 2007: Seychelles Weekly, Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles