Collaborative efforts of the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, Maldives Police Service (MPS) and Maldives Airport Company Limited (MACL) have commenced to address the concerns raised on the taxi queues in Velana International Airports (VIA).
The ministry disclosed that some complaints submitted regarding the airport taxi queue include taxi drivers refusing to travel other than to certain destinations, picking up more passengers after taking a trip and numerous objections regarding taxi drivers overcharging passengers regardless of the fixed fare.
Aiming to address the issue, the ministry revealed the establishment of a committee to review the cases and complaints. It additionally affirmed that legal actions have been taken against respective individuals, for the cases submitted with pertinent information.
Furthermore, the ministry revealed that discussions have been held with MACL to formulate a plan to manage taxi's in airports. Decisions have been made such that the plan will be implemented from April 14 onwards. It additionally disclosed that MPS will be active on the airport grounds and will take the necessary legal actions against taxi drivers who are illegally operating at the airport.
According to the Taxi Regulations, a licensed taxi must meet certain requirements in order to provide the service. As such, it must have a taxi board, a video camera, and recordings while ensuring passengers are visible from windows. Additionally, the taxi fares must be displayed along with driving licence as well. Special regulations are also imposed for private hires.