St. Maarten Private Eye

Taxi and Bus drivers pay taxes? You really think they declare every CASH payment they get? Dream on. Licensed and insured minicabs/cars with meters would make it much more convenient and affordable for local people to use, for example to go to town shopping or to work and avoiding the parking nightmares. And it would be easier to calculate those 'taxes' too.

I agree with Voodoo, the Taxi drivers have very little interest in serving the local market, they only want the easy tourist dollars and cry when they don't get what they consider 'their share'. A reliable minicab company with meters in their cabs, radio and phone service would clean up and make a mint right now. You think our taxi drivers want 'Mrs Haitian and her bags of groceries from outside Afoo in their fancy airco cruisers?

I think you need to get real, let the Taxi drivers strike or whatever, arrest them if they break the law in blocking roads or such nonsense. This is about the greater good of the island, not the special interests of a minority who care only about their own interests. Meters can be set so that they can still make the same rates they do now and can be adjusted for future fuel price increases too.

LH