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Momodou
Denmark
11761 Posts |
 Posted - 13 Feb 2008 : 21:57:15
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Tourist Taxi Drivers Lament The Slowdown Of Business
By Amie Sanneh
Tourist Taxi Drivers at the Senegambia Beach Hotel have complained to this reporter about the slowing down of their business which they said is their means of survival.
“Our business has fallen down completely,” says the president of the Senegambia tourist taxi drivers in an interview with Foroyaa.
Mr. Sidi Jarra told Foroyaa that the local taxi and private vehicles are taking the tourists away from them which they said is the main cause of the problem. He said they are doing all what they are asked to do by the authorities for them.
He said they are asked to paint their vehicles green which they have done. He said they also pay licence, road tax, income tax and so on. He went on to say that on top of that they pay a yearly fee of D625 dalasi which qualifies them to take tourists. Mr. Jarra explained that 525 dalasi goes to Gambia Tourism Authority and the 100 dalasi goes to MSG to see whether the vehicle is good enough to take tourists.
He added that if one does not have all these papers, the security officers normally stops the vehicle from taking tourists. He further explained that they are the ones who are to take the tourists since they pay a special tax for the tourist taxi.
“As far as we are paying extra for that work we should not do it,” he remarked. He said more than 200 vehicles park at Senegambia garage alone and they make only one trip every three weeks. They also complained that the tour operators are another problem.
He noted that whatever they earned stays here contrary to the tour operators. Mr. Jarra, however, remarked that they have complained this to GTA and that if it cannot take steps to rectify this, then they should stop paying extra tax, since they are not in the business alone.
He said they rely on their job to pay for his children’s school fees, feed their family and all other family needs.
Also speaking to Foroyaa, the Secretary General, Yahya Fofana, reiterated that taxis in the locality are disturbing them a lot; that they don‘t normally have trips. After paying their operational licence which is the 625 dalasi yearly, they cannot generate income due to the “interference” taxis in the locality. The tour operators too, he said, are also taking their business from them. He said they take the tourists for dinner, city tours, safari and so. GTA, he noted, is the only institution that can solve their problem. He said GTA has
put in place security officers to park them if they do not pay their tourist tax. The government too could also help by intervening.
Mr. Fofana pointed out that the Senegambia tourist taxi drivers consist of Mansea Beachl, Kololi and Senegambia hotels.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issues
Issue No. 19/2008, 13 -14 February 2008
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 13 Feb 2008 : 22:25:17
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The numbers should have some restriction so the drivers have some work every week.
Anyone taxiing illegally should have big fines to discourage the trade. |
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Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 26 Feb 2008 : 00:36:38
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Tourists have the option whether or not to hire out green taxi's. Therefore if there is not sufficient demand for them then green taxi drivers can always paint their cars yellow and offer their to local people if their over heads are too high. At all visitors have choices whether to hire out a car, rent a car, take arrange excursions, bush taxi's or yellow cab. It is a free market. The main priority for GTA should be to make sure as much foreign currency circulates within the Gambian economy. The Green Taxi drivers need to club together to market their services if they want to attract customers.
Peace
Sister Omega |
Peace
Sister Omega |
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jambo
3300 Posts |
Posted - 28 Feb 2008 : 09:44:34
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| what is slowing them down is attitude and price. if i want to go to airport it should be one price for the car, regardless of how many passengers, not price per passenger. aslo they should look to themselves and show respect, if they are th face of the GTA which is official body when was the last time you saw them wear african dress, or clean uniform. Bet some people don't even know there is a uniform for the taxi drivers. |
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