Taxi fare increase delayed

The 16 per cent fare increase which was set to take effect on April 1 has been delayed, the Ministry of Transport has confirmed. 

The STAR understands that a meeting was called between finance minister Dr Nigel Clark, Minister of Transport, Daryl Vaz, members of the Transport Operators Steering Committee and other transport sector leaders on Thursday to discuss the impending increase. 

"In asking the sector for a deferral of the expected 16% rate increase, Minister Clarke acknowledged that the Government recognised the hardships faced by the sector and what a fare increase would mean for their operations but cited the need to maintain inflation in single digits in order to keep the economy on course; noting that the transportation sector has one of the largest impacts on inflation," a media release from the Ministry of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport said.

It continued: "Minister Vaz commended the operators for their understanding and their acceptance of the deferral and gave his commitment to continue to work collaboratively with them to identify and agree other incentives. In so doing, he mandated the Transport Operators Steering Committee to meet and design a comprehensive transportation incentive framework that would take into account measures that would have less adverse impacts on inflation."  

Vaz also reportedly assured the sector that the following concerns would be addressed in this financial year, the:  

- replenishing of rolling stock through an adjustment to the Motor Vehicle Import Policy;  

- implementation of the driver training programme; and  

- upgrading of transport centres across the island.

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