Lautoka resident Petero Qauqau has brought forth several concerns that he feels demand immediate attention.

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

He even shared his personal experiences, expressing his disappointment with the lack of inclusivity within the service.

“Doing racist service, I was standing most of the time at CJ’s taxi stand in front of that shop when I’m waiting there, and a taxi driver comes which is an Indo Fijian and I’m stopping him and he goes to another Indian person that is standing in the front of me, we need to check this most of the time.”

In addition to the issue of racism, Qauqau urges drivers to enhance their customer service by simply smiling at passengers, a small gesture he believes could significantly improve the overall experience.

He addressed concerns about drivers who smoke in their vehicles, leaving an unpleasant cigarette smell that lingers for subsequent passengers.

Qauqau also claims that some taxi drivers have been consuming grog during the day, with the smell detectable upon entering their vehicles.

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

CEO of the Land Transport Authority (LTA) Irimaia Rokosawa, acknowledges the validity of these points and is committed to investigating the issues further.

President of the Fiji Taxi Association Ashwin Lal, agrees that there is a need for better driver conduct, emphasizing that the association consistently reminds its members to elevate their service standards.

He assures attendees that efforts are being made to address these behaviors.

The issue of insufficient taxi availability during night-time and early morning hours was also raised.

The LTA called upon Public Service Vehicle (PSV) drivers to enhance their presence during these critical hours to meet passenger demand.

In response to the growing concerns, Secretary of Veilomai Taxis Jone Masirewa proposed an option aimed at improving taxi services in Lautoka.

“Mostly at night you will see the “paris” just my suggestion if it is possible to give permits to them so that they can operate at night to solve the issues of providing services at night.”

The consultation continues tomorrow in Nausori.