Cabinet Affairs |05 May 2023
Vice-President Afif during yesterday’s debriefing
Maximum taxi rates approved
Vice-President Ahmed Afif chaired a scheduled meeting of the Cabinet, on Wednesday in which a number of policy and legal memoranda were approved.
Cabinet approved a number of proposals with regard to the taxi operation in the country. This included the approval of a maximum taxi rates that are to be charged as fare to passengers and secondly a moratorium, which is the temporary prohibition on the issuance of new taxi licenses, should be extended until December 31, 2023.
In yesterday’s debriefing, Vice-President Afif said as time went by, government saw it necessary to revise the regulations in regards to tariffs of taxi operators.
A discussion took place between the department of transport and the Taxi Operators Association of Seychelles, to negotiate an agreement in which both the taxi operators and the passengers could receive a fair deal for the service.
“The government agreed to a cap whereby an operator can charge less, that is if they want to, and this cap has been agreed for Mahé, Praslin and La Digue where all tariffs are different,” said VP Afif.
For the tariffs on Mahé, the first kilometre is R50 and each additional kilometre is R40. On Praslin, the first kilometre is R55, while each additional kilometre is R45 and lastly on La Digue the first kilometre is R60 and each additional kilometre is also R60.
“The intention is to have all taxi operators equipped with a metre which would be programmed to follow the tariffs and we expect that in these vehicles also there is clear notice to notify the passengers of the tariffs, especially tourists,” said the vice-president.
In regards to the extension of a moratorium on the issuance of new taxi licenses, Vice-President Afif said this decision came about following concerns raised by taxi operators themselves. According to him, the operators expressed how they were already in a tough, competitive sector, with a high number of operators already having a toll on the business.
“The government agreed to delay the removal of the moratorium until the end of the year, and we will revise it after that to see if it will be kept in place or discontinued,” he said.
Meanwhile, cabinet has also approved a decision to regulate existing taxi bays, such as the ones located at hotels and other areas across the country.
Diane Larame