Hire Cars vs Taxis

Dear Editor,

Since the 1980s, minibuses have been imported into Guyana to address transportation challenges following the closure of the Guyana Transport Services. However, it appears that the Ministry responsible did not adequately plan for or designate minibus parks across the country’s 10 administrative regions. As a result, minibuses have encroached upon and displaced hire cars from their designated parks.

Consequently, many operators of hire cars licensed as four- or five-seater hackney carriages are authorised to ply for hire, including street hails and operation from taxi parks, and have adapted by functioning as taxis. A taxi, in this context, refers to a driver-operated vehicle hired to transport passengers to specific destinations, typically with fares based on distance.

This situation raises several important questions:

1. Are hire cars licensed as hackney carriages, now operating effectively as taxis, in breach of their road service certification, licensing conditions, or insurance requirements?
2. Does Guyana have specific legislation governing taxi licensing?
3. Are there established laws regulating taxi bases or dispatch services?
4. If no such taxi-specific laws exist, on what legal basis are these de facto taxi operations permitted without appropriate operator or operating licences?
5. Why are numerous privately owned vehicles allowed to operate for hire across the country, particularly in Georgetown?

In the absence of clear and comprehensive taxi legislation, it is timely and necessary for the relevant Ministry or regulatory authority to examine the implications of establishing a structured legal framework.

Such measures would enhance regulation, protect commuters from excessive fares, and promote fairness and accountability within the transportation sector.