Minister for Transport Ro Filipe Tuisawau says he is aware of the operators' concerns about the open taxi rank system.

Minister for Transport Ro Filipe Tuisawau says he is aware of the operators’ concerns about the open taxi rank system.

Ro Filipe says he has also been briefed on the threat of illegal operations.

He says he is prepared to work with stakeholders to address their concerns.

“There’s been discussion about the open taxi rank system and other licensing issues, and I look forward in working with other organization moving forward”

LTA Board chair, James Sowane, also explains the reasons behind the implementation of the open taxi rank system.

He says the idea is to have a level playing field for all permit holders.

“The whole spirit of open taxi rank system is to give taxi permit holder a fair chance of operating”

Sowane says the LTA is also aware of the increase in illegal operations around the country, saying that addressing this issue is becoming more challenging.

“Our team knows and they are monitoring it but again, it tries to match the supply of public services with the demand of the general public”

The new Minister also highlighted some regulations governing the authority that need to be updated.