Wide-ranging changes have been recommended in a major shake-up of the Land Transport Authority.

They are in a report made public yesterday by the Attorney-General, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum.

The report was compiled after nationwide public consultations led by Mr Sayed-Khaiyum.

The A-G handed it to Transport and Infrastructure Minister Parveen Kumar yesterday.

Some major recommendations, made by Mr Sayed-Khaiyum, are set to change the face of the land transport industry:

• No driver of a company to be fined for driving a defective vehicle. The employer should be fined and be issued a defect order.
• All LTA decisions to be open for public scrutiny, meaning if a person has applied for a taxi permit and for any reason his application is declined, he has full rights to demand to view his file, see who all were involved in the decision-making process and why his application was declined and given to the next person.
• A national bus schedule be put together
• For taxis, it is recommended that base fees be completely scrapped, all taxis be allowed to operate from any base within a municipality.
• LTA not be allowed to issue demerit points on licences and if any demerit points are to be issued, it needs to done through the courts.
• The current LTA board be removed and a new board be appointed as soon as possible.
• An independent review committee be set up to look into and implement recommendations.
• A complaints unit be set up which would report directly to the minister (Mr Kumar).
• PSV permits be given based on means test. Those who need PSVs such as widows who need as means of earning a living should be prioritized. Also, drivers who have been driving taxis but have not been given permits for as long as 10 years should be given priority to own taxi and other PSV permits.

Mr Kumar said within two weeks he would set up the review committee and the complaints unit.

He said swift action would be taken to better the industry. Where law changes are required, recommendations would need to go to Parliament and Cabinet before changes are implemented.

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said:

“We need to ensure that we manage the high expectations of the members of public. Because they do have high expectations, the country is modernising and we need to ensure that the laws are consistent and they are not subjective,” Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said.

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