Maria David
THE number of illegal taxis in the country has become a growing concern, with the Ministry of Works and Transport, in collaboration with their stakeholders, working around the clock to address the issue.
Ministry of Works and Transport Deputy Director for Transportation Regulation, Damien Mabengano, said that they have seen an increase in illegal taxis across the country, which has now become a serious concern.
According to Mabengano, they are also facing challenges where many taxi drivers are operating without a permit and without a driving license.
“The issue of illegal taxis is because of our system. When we need to look at our system that we are using in terms of issuing our taxis with permits, if the system is complex, people will not go through the proper channels. They will try to bypass the system and drive the taxi without a permit,” he said.
He added that they need to make the taxi permits accessible so that when a person applies, they can easily comply to get that license and operate legally. However, if the process is complicated and takes two to five years to provide the permits, then they start driving illegally.
Moreover, he touched on the issue of the lack of attendance during meetings by taxi drivers, saying that as citizens, they need to be responsible, and people should ensure that they pay their fees when they are due.
Mabengano stressed that they need to educate their people and encourage them to pay their fees at all times.
Picture for illustrative purposes only.
