The Fiji Taxi Association is taking the Land Transport Authority to court.

Association President Raben Singh says there are too many taxis and it’s affecting their businesses.

With the LTA expected to issue more permits in the coming months through their taxi lottery, Singh says this will only worsen the situation.

“Stop the more permit to be given like the districts, like what they given in Lautoka, thousand plus permit and we have a extra taxis around in Lautoka city and Nadi and we’re trying to stop in other districts like Sigatoka, Ba, Tavua, Suva to not get overflooded taxis around in towns.”

An initial injunction was however dismissed which would have stalled the redraw of taxi permits last month in Nadi.

Land Transport Authority’s Board Chair Vijay Maharaj says the case will nonetheless go ahead.

“But ask the court ordered that the defendant which is LTA to file an affidavit in response and the Plaintiff had to file a reply to and that the substantive hearing is adjourned to the 4th of October, 2019 at 9.30.”

Maharaj says despite consultations with the association, there remain a number of issues.

“The complaint is that there are too many taxis as a result of the draws and the redraws that we had 2018. I think the current taxi owners are saying that this, the new taxi permits that have been issued or granted will eat into their income.”

Singh says they will now await the court’s decision before deciding on their next plan of action.

A freeze on taxi permits was initiated in 2011 which was only uplifted last year with the issuance of new permits beginning in Lautoka through the taxi lottery which stipulates a number of requirements.

13 zones have been identified for the issuance of new permits which is expected to be done on a quota system based on population density and demand.