Local taxi operators should up their game – SVGTA CEO

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism Authority (SVGTA) Glen Beache says that taxi operators must always try their best to offer a professional service and charge the right prices.

“When you rip off a visitor or countryman, you are doing damage to your industry and country because what is said out there…word of mouth can kill you. We have to get it right,” Beache said in a recent interview at the VIP Lounge at the Argyle International Airport (AIA).  

He said that since the opening of the AIA on February 14, several horror stories have emerged in relation to taxi drivers and charges meted out to tourists.

He said in one instance, a taxi driver carried two passengers to a hotel and charged them EC$60 dollars each, instead of one flat fee. In another instance a taxi driver charged passengers based on the number of pieces of luggage.

“In some countries, taxis exiting the airport are given a receipt and that should be done here. We have to understand that we are providing a service and a few of them (taxi drivers) need to up their game,” stressed the CEO.

He said the taxi drivers provide a service and they must understand that when a person hires a taxi, for that brief period, the car belongs to the hiree.

“Certain things like limo tint on taxis needs to be looked at; if it is a tour, then you can’t see,” said Beache.

The Tourism Authority CEO said that SVG is on the right track when it comes to improving our tourism product as a number of the standards placed on some of our products are better than many other destinations.

“Some of the other countries’ standards are not as good as ours,” said Beache.(LC)