New recipients of bus and taxi licenses participated in a mandatory training last week Tuesday and Wednesday evening at the Justice Academy in Dutch Quarter.
This training was implemented and organized by Minister of Tourism and Economic Affairs, Transportation & Telecommunication (MinTEATT) Hon. Romeo Pantophlet using existing and experienced drivers to train this new batch of taxi license recipients.
The training was a nutshell version of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) training that taxi drivers took earlier in 2012 and focused primarily on hygiene, etiquette and conduct when dealing with our valued guests.
Otis Hughes of the Dutch Sint Maarten Taxi Association, Linda Cox of the Genesis Taxi Association and Sylvia Jeffers of the Airport Taxi Association, all gave up their time to train this new batch of bus and taxi license recipients, an act that Minister Pantophlet commends and sincerely appreciates.
Up to date taxi rates were also distributed to the new taxi license holders as well as other informational handouts, ensuring that they have the right tools necessary to start their new careers as Tourism Ambassadors for the country’s main pillar of the economy, tourism.
Minister Pantophlet intends to repeat the extensive CTO training during the off season and to customize the training to also include bus drivers. Legislation is also being drafted to implement frequent mandatory training for bus and taxi drivers as a condition to keeping their bus and taxi licenses.
Minister Pantophlet congratulates all recipients of taxi and bus licenses and hopes that with the rising visitor arrival numbers, they will all be successful in their new careers and promoting to visitors to return back to the destination on another visit.
Further plans for this sector includes setting up a transportation committee in order to regulate the transportation system and beginning work on the changing lanes project, key essential areas for Minister Pantophlet that would facilitate a more professional and better organized public transportation system which is used daily by hundreds of residents.