Employers seek taxi drivers

Driver, don't stop at all!

A Jamaican taxi driver is no stranger to the ins and outs of the treacherous rural and urban streets, whether in regard to the culture in particular areas or simply getting you to your destination most efficiently.

THE STAR, in one of its Jobs on the Go features, has yet again sought to make a match between employers and job seekers. After searching the Gleaner Classifieds for job postings, our news team caught up with 33-year-old employer Gregory Williams, who called for a driver needed to operate a taxi-cab he owns.

Williams told THE STAR that amid tough economic times, he has sought to diversify his income by exploring a new business opportunity. Foremost, he believes that finding "somebody who is honest" is the first step.

"I want somebody who works on their own initiative," Williams said.

According to the entrepreneur, he prefers his potential cab

driver to be between the ages of 30 and 50 as these persons appear to be "mature and know what they want, and are hard-working" as he believes that "younger persons just want to gallivant".

"If you're an older man and you still doing certain kinds of odd jobs, it's either you're on something, you have drinking problems or just poor money management skills," Williams explained, shedding further light on why he has capped the desired age for his potential employee at 50.

Williams is looking for both female and male candidates who are able to provide strong character references.

It is of service to someone who desires to become a taxi driver to possess good verbal skills as they relate to clients of all types. A taxi driver may also find it useful to be quick thinking and exemplify excellent customer service skills. Good knowledge of his/her general locale while being able to decipher

a customer's instructions effectively will prove to be skills of benefit.

Additional tasks of a taxi driver may include, but are not limited to, picking up and safely dropping off customers at locations of their choosing (of course), assisting clients with the loading and unloading of a vehicle where necessary, and ensuring that the correct fare is collected from clients in accordance with their final destination.

It helps, too, to have a reliable and clean motor vehicle so as to provide clients with that safe 'ride in style' comfort. Who wants to ride in an unsafe dirty jalopy?

As far as qualifications go, Williams stated that persons interested don't need to possess any formal training, but shared that experience is given precedence. Persons are typically screened for licence infractions and police records. It goes without saying that the taxi driver must also hold a valid driver's licence.

Interested persons may contact Williams at (876) 797-4921 for further information.

Vacancies for taxi drivers for the following posts for November 2015:

Taxi and Tours Organisation

n Experienced drivers who posses a valid PPV licence for a minimum of three years.

Contact (876) 336-6984 or (876) 908-3989 Monday to Friday between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. for more details.