Taxi Drivers Call For Review Of Permit Rule
By Rosli Abidin Yahya

Bandar Seri Begawan – Cab owners have called for a review of the reduction of taxi permit period from ten to seven years, arguing that the new regulation would cause many taxi drivers to quit their profession as they could not afford to change their taxis that often.

The imposition of the rule since last year has already made a few drivers with seven-year-old taxis stay at home as they could not afford to replace their vehicles.

"Some of our members have quit their profession as they could not afford to change their taxis.

"Furthermore it has been very hard all this while for taxi drivers to secure loans to pay for their vehicles by instalments," said Hj Bakar Hj Hamdan, the secretary general of Brunei Muara Taxi Drivers Association.

The association has submitted two letters pleading for the return of the old regulation, citing various reasons including to give opportunity to its members to have a source of income to support their families.

An earlier rule dated June 3, 2000 allowed taxi permit period to be stretched from seven to ten years as long as the taxis passed the technical examination.

However, the association's letters - dated Sept 5, 2005 and Jan 3, 2006 - which were addressed to the chairman of Motor Transport Licensing Authority have not received any reply yet, said Hj Bakar.

Hj Bakar said that vehicles, aged seven years old, did' not warrant a change since local taxis were only utilised for up to a maximum of 12 to 13 hours a day as the drivers could not get as many passengers unlike in big countries.

"A majority of taxis owned by our members will reach the age of seven years soon. Many drivers told us they could not afford to buy new taxis and as such would quit the profession.

"If that happens, the nation will face a crisis as there will be not many taxis around to serve the tourists.

"Such happening would also allow for pirate taxis to thrive," he said.

He added that such regulation need not be imposed here since a majority of the taxis' time was spent waiting for customers. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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