Fiji taxi operators seek urgent Government relief over rising costs

The Fiji Taxi Association is calling on the Government to provide urgent relief, saying operators and drivers are being pushed towards financial hardship by rising fuel prices, increasing operating costs and more than 14 years without a meaningful fare review.

Association president Mohammed Faiyaz said the latest fuel price increase, which has pushed petrol prices to between $3.93 and $4.54 a litre depending on location, had added pressure to an industry already struggling to remain viable.

Fiji Taxi Association president Mohammed Faiyaz says rising fuel prices and operating costs are placing increasing pressure on taxi operators and drivers.

Photo: Supplied

“Taxi operators cannot continue to absorb these costs indefinitely because every litre of fuel we purchase now costs almost double what operators were paying just a few years ago, yet our fares remain virtually unchanged from 2010,” Mr Faiyaz said.

“While bus operators have received multiple fare increases over the years, supported by Government subsidies, the taxi industry has been completely ignored.”

Mr Faiyaz said the difference in treatment between bus and taxi operators was becoming increasingly difficult to justify.

“The reality is that bus companies are often owned by large, established businesses. The taxi industry, on the other hand, is overwhelmingly made up of ordinary Fijians operating small businesses, many of whom own only one vehicle and rely on it to support their families,” he said.

“Since 2011, fuel prices have increased dramatically. Vehicle parts, tyres, batteries, lubricants, insurance, labour and financing costs have all risen sharply.”

The association is calling on the Government to urgently review taxi fares, strengthen enforcement against illegal taxi operators and undertake a comprehensive assessment of the industry's long-term sustainability.

Mr Faiyaz warned that the industry's patience was running out.

“The Government must decide whether it values the thousands of Fijians whose livelihoods depend on the taxi industry,” he said.

“The current situation is neither fair nor sustainable.”