Communiqué from the Seychelles Labour Union |01 March 2018
Taxi association, union meet ministers to discuss pertinent points
A total of 160 taxi operators led by the Taxi Association petitioned the President of the Republic, Danny Faure, and handed State House with a letter tabling some pertinent points that have been outstanding for a very long time.
The Taxi Association met with the Seychelles Labour Union (SLU) and together have formalised a partnership where the SLU has registered a large number of taxi operators membership in the union while an agreement for the union to mediate the taxi operators’ case was agreed.
On Monday February 26, 2018, the SLU represented by its president, Alain St Ange, and its secretary general, Peter Sinon, joined the Taxi Drivers Association led by its president Jemmie Bonne, to meet Habitat, Infrastructure and Land Transport Minister Charles Bastienne, and Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine Minister Maurice Loustau-Lalanne to attempt to address the longstanding unresolved tabled issues.
The meeting took the points one by one. Among the most pertinent issues were the following:
- Issues with taxi meters
- Need for more designated taxi bays in Victoria
- Taxi bays at the hotels and the continued lack of respect for those in the bays
- Taxi license issuance – should involve the Taxi Drivers Association
- Need better coordination at the airport and Cat Coco ferry
- Need better coordination at the New Port – Cruise ships
- Insurance for taxis that covers when issues with meter damaging electronics of the car
- Work to have a solution for ‘pirate’ taxis where some form of formalisation of this informal sector is addressed.
- Need for a moratorium/quota for issuance of taxi license as there are presently too many taxis.
- Taxi Association will be the main liaison between the authorities and the taxi drivers for a more coordinated approach and results.
The meeting resolved that:
1. Within 14 days a multi-stakeholder committee will be set up involving members of the Taxi Association and SLU. It would conduct an ‘audit’ of the situation surrounding the highlighted cases and make recommendations to the ministers;
2. On Tuesday February 27, 2018, the chairman of the Taxi Association will join the appropriate officers of SLTA led by the principal secretary for transport to identify suitable potential taxi parking bays in Victoria;
3. A follow-up meeting with both ministers for feedback, recommendations and action of the committee has been scheduled for the Monday March 26, 2018.
SLU president Alain St Ange and Taxi Association president Jemmie Bonne thanked the ministers for taking time out of their busy schedules to meet with the association and the union.