Taxi drivers go slow

Taxi drivers have on Thursday organised a ‘Go Slow’ protest against illegal taxis on Thursday during peak hours in Port-Louis. After the protest, a meeting of the taxi drivers was held at Champ de Mars. This event caused a huge traffic jam in the morning.

As explained by the taxi drivers, competition among taxi drivers is already harsh but with the illegal tour operators and other illegal taxi drivers, it is becoming even worse. The 615 members of the Federation of Hotels Taxis Association want better treatment and they also objected to Minister Anil Gayan’s statements made at the National Assembly recently. The president of the ‘Federation des Travailleurs Unis’ (FTU), Atma Shanto stated that the job of taxi men is moving towards extinction. He added that there are 1,400 employees who are concerned by this deplorable situation. “Despite our protests, the authorities are doing nothing.”

Indiren Anacootee, representing the Federation of Hotels Taxis Association, recalled that the words of the ministry of Tourism are wrong. “We have a license to only work with hotels. But there are taxis drivers who do not work for hotels but do obtain passengers from hotels.”

Anil Gayan claimed having tried many negotiations with trade unions but failed. “A meeting cannot take place with such attitude. I have also proposed a solution which could be acceptable without having recourse to the Court. There is one association which has agreed to sign an MOU so that there is equity among the different operators.” 

The Leader of the Opposition, Xavier-Luc Duval also reacted to this mass protest. For him, it is not logical that a tour operator chooses a taxi of another region or of another hotel for its clients. According to him, it would be a good thing to have a taxi desk with a person assigned to the desk providing and guiding tourists to the taxi drivers.