Meters to be installed in Addu City taxis

Addu City Council has decided to install meters in taxis driven within Addu City in order to promote a fair rate proportionate to the distance travelled.

City Council member Abdulla Toyyib spoke to “Sun” on Tuesday and said that the decision to install meters had been made after discussions to find a solution to issues raised by both taxi drivers as well as customers.

“It has been a year since we have been discussing with taxi centers to install meters. Because both local citizens and taxi drivers have complained that it isn’t easy to taxi through a fair system in Addu City,” said Toyyib.

He said that some people did not follow the rates established for taxi services within Addu City, and noted that given the size of Addu City, and the fact that it was linked with many uninhabited islands – it was very difficult to establish a fair rate system.

“Both taxi centers and people who use taxis agree that the solution to this is to install meters in taxis,” he said.

Toyyib said that it would be very costly to install meters in the 120 taxis that currently operate in Addu City, and that the cost was estimated to be about MVR 500,000.

He said that since taxi centers did not possess the sufficient capital to bear the cost, Council would take care of the cost of the initial installment.

“So we are looking to budget it for 2016 and install the meters. We will be providing meters to taxi centers as loans,” said Toyyib.

He said that meters would be installed in taxis in 2016, and that it would provide a satisfactory solution to the issue of fairness.