Lautoka resident Petero Qauqau has raised several concerns which he says require immediate attention.

During the public consultation on the review of the taxi permit process and operations, Qauqau reported incidents including that of racial discrimination on the part of taxi drivers when picking up passengers.

He even shared his personal experiences, expressing his disappointment at the lack of inclusiveness within the service.

“Doing racist service, I was standing at CJ’s taxi stand in front of this store most of the time when I was waiting there, and a taxi driver comes who is an Indo-Fijian and I stop him and he goes to another Indian person who is standing in front of me, we have to check this most of the time.

Aside from the issue of racism, Qauqau urges drivers to improve their customer service by simply smiling at passengers, a small gesture that he says could significantly improve the overall experience.

It addressed concerns about drivers smoking in their vehicles, leaving an unpleasant cigarette smell that lingers for subsequent passengers.

Qauqau also claims that some taxi drivers consume grog during the day, the smell of which is detectable upon entering their vehicle.

He argues that this behavior not only reflects poorly on the taxi service, but also raises safety concerns for passengers.

Irimaia Rokosawa, CEO of the Land Transport Authority (LTA), recognizes the validity of these points and pledges to further investigate these issues.

Fiji Taxi Association president Ashwin Lal agrees that there is a need to improve driver behavior, noting that the association constantly reminds its members to raise their service standards.

He assures participants that efforts are being made to combat these behaviors.

The issue of insufficient availability of taxis during night and early morning was also raised.

The LTA has called on public service vehicle (PSV) drivers to increase their presence during these critical hours to meet passenger demand.

In response to growing concerns, Veilomai Taxis secretary Jone Masirewa has proposed an option to improve taxi services in Lautoka.

“Mainly at night you will see the “bets”, that is my suggestion if it is possible to give them permits so that they can operate at night to solve the problems of providing night services.”

The consultation continues tomorrow in Nausori.