17/07/2017
HOTELS
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TAXI DESKS
(No. B/543) Mr R. Bhagwan (First Member for Beau Bassin & Petite Rivière)
asked the Minister of Public Infrastructure and Land Transport whether, in regard to the proposed installation of taxi desks inside the reception area of the hotels, he will state
–
(a)
why the Cabinet decisions of 26 February 2016 and of 07 April 2016,
respectively, taken in relation thereto have not been implemented as at to date, and (b) the outstanding problems in relation thereto, indicating if consideration will be given for the holding of consultations with all the
stakeholders for the settling thereof.
The Minister of Tourism (Mr A. Gayan): Madam Speaker, with your permission, I shall reply to this question.
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I am informed by the Tourism Authority that the measure pertaining to installation of taxi desks in hotels with a minimum room capacity of 50 is being implemented by the hoteliers.
This measure, in fact, concerns 80 hotels and the status is as follows
–25 hotels have already set up a taxi desk;
19 hotels have informed that taxi operators licensed to operate at
their hotels were either satisfied with the current arrangements or not interested with a taxi desk, and 36 were either in the process of negotiations regarding the modalities for setting up the desk or are not willing to proceed further in view of constraints such as lack of space.
As regards part (b) of the question, Madam Speaker, my attention has been drawn by the Tourism Authority that several complaints against taxi operators have been received from management of hotels with regard to the implementation of this project. One of the main complaints pertains to the selling of excursions at the taxi desks which was not the objective
of this measure.
I must also, Madam Speaker, deplore the actions by some taxi drivers who have participated in demonstrations outside hotels and have adopted an aggressive attitude towards tourists which overall undermines the image of the tourism industry. It appears that such actions have discouraged some members of l’AHRIM to implement the taxi desk at their end.
Nevertheless, consultations among the various stakeholders namely the Tourism Authority, the National Transport Authority and the management of concerned hotels and taxi associations are ongoing with a view to implementing the decisions taken.
Madam Speaker, I wishalso to inform the House that in my capacity as Minister of Tourism, I have had separate meetings with the Association of Inbound Operators of Mauritius and the different taxi associations in order to reach a working arrangement through the establishment of a Memorandum of Understanding between AIOM and taxi operators union. However, the federation of hotel taxi associations was strongly against the proposal.
I must also say, Madam Speaker, that in this digital era, the whole business mode of transport bookings has been completely transformed. Tourists are now increasingly booking 77 their travel packages including transport with tour operators online. Consequently, the tour operators are contractually bound to provide the full range of services.
During the Assises du Tourisme held on 02 June 2017, Madam Speaker, the Tourism Authority proposed the setting up of an online platform for the taxis based at hotels whereby the tourists could directly book their transport.
However, it is unfortunate that this proposal was turned down by the taxi operators.
Madam Speaker, I must also add that at this time in the history of the Tourism Industry, I appeal to the taxi drivers to embrace new technologies and to review their mode of operation for their long term survival.
Mr Bhagwan:We had a Parliamentary Question by hon. Rughoobur some time back and we had been informed that there were going to be regulations concerning the setting up of taxi desk at hotels. Is the hon. Minister aware of that undertaking, whether the Ministry or the Tourism Authority has worked out a sort of regulations which would have helped to find solution to the problem?
Mr Gayan
: Madam Speaker, the measures adopted by Government was a package.
Unfortunately, some of the tour operators went to Court and they obtained an injunction against the implementation of one part of that package. The case is still awaiting trial. So, because of that injunction, it has not been possible to proceed with the regulations.
Madam Speaker
: Hon. Rughoobur!
Mr Rughoobur
:
Thank you, Madam Speaker. In regard to the regulations the hon.
Minister just mentioned, in that package that part of the regulation
qui n’est pas concerné par le injunction, may I know from the hon. Minister, this taxi desk, according to my information, in the north all the hotels that are found in my constituency, at least, is it not an excellent means to consolidate further the collaboration between the taxi and the management of the hotels because from information that I have....
Madam Speaker
: Don’t be long!
Mr Rughoobur
: Yes. These measures are working extremely well in some hotels.
Mr Gayan
: Madam Speaker, the problem is as follows
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because the tourist overseas books the hotel, the airline and the excursions, when they come to Mauritius, the taxi 78operators based at the hotels do not get that business because everything has been paid for
with the tour operators.
What I suggested to the taxi federations is: let us work out a modus whereby you get a
share of that because, at the end of the day, it is the tourist who decides on the means of travel whether they want to travel by taxi or whatever. It is their choice. I must say that, out of the two federations, one is agreeable, the other one is not agreeable. We are trying to find a solution, otherwise, as I said, the economic model for taxi operators based at hotels is
something that is not going to survive because of the new economic model that we are talking about.
This is unfortunately the only country in the world where we have taxis based at hotels and this is something that has to be looked at. It is a legacy of the past, but things have changed and things will keep changing. My appeal to that operators is, once again, to work out a new model where they can all survive.
Madam Speaker
: Hon. Bhagwan and then the last question for hon. Shakeel Mohamed.
Mr Bhagwan
: Following what the Minister has stated, at least, through the
Parliament, I am sure, the taxi operators will have the message because we are living in a modern world, and they are watching, I am sure, the Parliamentary T.V. Many taxi operators have been working there for many, many years, ça forme partie du patrimoine de cette industrie Is the Minister aware that with the new scheme, the new set up, the taxi drivers, who have been working for years, are finding the situation so critical that many of them are even unable to pay their loans and their taxis are being seized? Can I appeal to the Minister to, at least, use the good office of the Tourism Authority to find an urgent solution in the interest of one and all.
Mr Gayan
: Well,we are all intent on working out a solution that is going to meet
with the consensus of everybody. Negotiation takes two parties and there has to be give and take. Somebody cannot just take and not give something away. This is the situation unfortunately which we found ourselves in. I hope that the taxi operators, who I know are not
getting the business that they ought to get because of other things, rethink their strategies.
Mr X. L. Duval
: Madam Speaker, may I ask the hon. Minister, I think we are going to a new model, fair enough, for this is for the future. What was agreed, if the Minister may recall, was that for tourists staying in a hotel who are going in a group, they will use a van of the tour operator, but for those who are a couple or three people, the tour operator should contract with the licensed taxi operator at the hotel and not bring in another car from outside.
This was the whole deal. I hope that is understood, that is, when there is a small group of people you use the taxis that are available. When there is a big group then you use a van or a bus. That was agreed Can the Minister try to implement that please?
Mr Gayan
: Well, in fact, that was the decision taken by Cabinet at the time when the
present Leader of the Opposition was the Deputy Prime Minister and he chaired that meeting.
Well the measures that were adopted were that a taxi desk should set up at the hotel and that taxi desk should be run by the taxi operators at their own cost. Indicative taxi fares should be displayed at the reception of the hotel. This is not being done. They should not be selling excursions, they are selling excursions. This is the source of the complaints that we are
getting at the Tourism Authority. As I said, if the measures are taken and everybody complies with the measure, there is no problem, but if something is done and people try to get out of the measures which have been adopted then, of course, there will be problem. This is why some have gone to court and until the case is over, it won’t help.
Madam Speaker
: Last question, hon. Leader of the Opposition. We have already spend 10 minutes on that question, it’s not a PNQ.
Mr X. L. Duval
: When there is a booking online, as the hon. Minister is himself,
what is preventing the tour operator to use a taxi that is based at the hotel for the service instead of providing his own car? That’s all I am asking.
Mr Gayan
: Well, I have asked that question on the tour operators, and they say that
the quality of service that the tourists will get from their own services will differ from the taxi operators. In fact, the hon. Leader of the Opposition knows that there were attempts to have courses at l’École Hôtelière
for grooming, for training of the taxi operators, but this never
happened. It will have to happen.
Legal taxis in Mauritius
