The challenges of a taxi owner

The taxi service in Port Moresby has been a thriving business for private taxi owners and operators until the introduction of groups or companies into the business.

Taxi owner Timothy Kange owns and has been operating his own taxi for the last four years. He says with the introduction of these new groups of taxis and companies, individual taxi owners and operators like himself are losing many good customers.

Kange, who owns a small Toyota Camry, said he had ventured into the business in the hopes of earning a small income to look after his family.

He usually operates through faithful customers who call him when his services are needed; this used to be the case for the past three years until now.

With this current challenge, he has taken it upon himself to look for alternatives from relevant authorities who can incorporate his services.

He said there was a call made by the transport department to incorporate all taxis and PMVs, and he is willing to give this a try; if the offer is still available.

His comments follow a call by the then minister for Transport, William Duma, to nationalise all public transports in 2015 – and then following a public transport strike in May last year, the governor for NCD had called for the management of all PMVs to be given to the National Capital District.

(Loop file pic of Waigani Drive, Port Moresby)

Author: 
Imelda Wavik