The Antigua Cruise Port is to implement a new system for all ground transportation operations at its Heritage Quay and Redcliffe Quay cruise terminals to control the issue related to over aggressive taxi and other ground transportation operators.
Marketing and Communications Manager, Elijah James, said the ACP will hold a public consultation on Wednesday at the Multi-Purpose Cultural Centre at Perry Bay to discuss its new ‘shore to explore’ system for all ground transportation operators.
“We are inviting taxi-operators, tour operators and rental car operators to this meeting when we will unveil the new system which will go into effect for the start of the upcoming cruise season later in the year. This system will be introduced in collaboration with both the police and the transport board as our partners. It requires that all ground transportation operators must be registered and must display our decal or badge on their garments at all times,” he stated.
James said those taxi or other ground transportation operators who fail to comply with the new rules will be suspended from operating in the area for a period of time and repeated offences could lead to the offender losing his/her public service licence. He added this is necessary because of the large number of complaints the ACP is reaching from visitors who arrive aboard the cruise ships.
“We have a situation where the authorized St. John’s Taxi Association members are having difficulties utilizing the parking areas reserved for them because other taxi operators from the airport or the hotels come to the port and take their spots. Additionally, there are numerous instances where the ‘independent taxis or poachers’ as they are described, are openly underbidding the authorized taxi operators in an open and aggressive manner,” he disclosed.
According to James the complaints have reached the senior levels of the cruise lines and there are indicating that if this problem is not arrested, and fast, Antigua and Barbuda could see cruise ships calling elsewhere.
He gave as an example a recent case where a person operating a rental car service was utilizing vehicles with private ‘A’ plates and overcharging the unsuspecting visitors.
This week, a team from ACP is traveling to the annual Seatrade meeting in Miami to allay the fears of the cruise lines and to inform them that the matters is being dealt with in an effective manner.
