Riya Bhagwan 
[Photo: RIYA BHAGWAN]
Taxi drivers are being urged to improve customer service, conduct and professional presentation as the industry looks to strengthen public confidence.
The call was made during a meeting with taxi operators, police and the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission in Nadi.
Taxi operators representative Jimmy Khan says drivers have a responsibility to provide good service beyond simply transporting passengers.
He says drivers should build a good relationship with passengers through respectful and appropriate conduct.
“Drivers should reasonably assist passengers with loading and unloading. Here, at times, we have seen drivers not moving out of the seat. Passengers get up, open the boot, take out their luggage. You should create a relationship between the passenger and the driver. So that next time when that passenger sees you, he will 100% take you.”
Khan adds that refusing passengers unnecessarily, using abusive language and being selective about destinations should not be accepted as normal practice.
The industry is also raising concerns about how drivers present themselves.
Fiji Zone Taxi Association Acting National General Secretary Mohammed Shameem says the industry operates without a formal dress code.
He says while the association is not proposing one that could add to drivers’ costs, drivers should take personal responsibility for maintaining a neat and presentable appearance.
The industry says better customer service and professional standards are important to maintaining public confidence in the sector.
