Recently, during a government press conference, the Minister of Transport, Ursell Arends, indicated that the price list being used by taxi drivers is not in compliance with the law. As the minister of integrity, he will work to correct the system and ensure everything aligns with the law. He even fears that what is currently happening is illegal.
It didn’t take long for the taxi drivers to hold a meeting among themselves, and Monday morning they quickly responded to the minister. To start, they advised the minister to pay attention to his email and agenda. They have asked the minister three times for a meeting to address the public transport issue, and to this day, they have not received any response.
According to Linda Orman, they have been using a price list for around forty years. This price list has a government stamp and was signed by a minister. “If it is illegal, everyone needs to be punished,” Linda Orman commented during an interview with 24ora.com. It’s hard to say that a stamp from the country of Aruba and a minister’s signature are not recognized and that you are working within the law. “Minister Arends needs to start fulfilling his promises,” there are many things the minister is doing that are not in accordance with the law. For example, a committee that needs to be installed to provide advice, whether the minister requests it or not, does not currently exist.
There are many different points to consider, such as the type of permit for taxis, for “O-vervoer” (public transport), and much more. It seems the minister wants to do things right, but he should have started doing so from day one. The price list is something that the taxi drivers themselves are also evaluating, wanting to make a change to the pricing for each zone. They are cautious with prices to ensure they do not lose the market that exists there.
