Taxi drivers protest at shuttle service

Taxi Drivers operating at Pinto Wharf blocked the exit of the sea terminal as a sign of protest yesterday morning, jamming a bus shuttle service that started operating two days ago by VISET Malta plc, operators of the Valletta waterfront.

Taxi drivers complained that the shuttle service, which only started last Friday, was taking up to 85 per cent of their business. Tourists coming down from cruise liners were being "dragged" onto the bus before they had the time to choose whether they wanted to catch a taxi or a horse-drawn cab instead of the bus.

Claiming that the VISET operators were "abusing their position" and vociferously stating that the shuttle service was creating unfair competition, the Association of White Taxis' chief executive, Alfred Pace, said that when a relatively large ship berthed at Pinto Wharf, taxi drivers operated some 150 trips to Valletta while horse cab owners get around 75 trips.

"This is really unfair on us. Just because we are not allowed to drive beyond the entrance of the quay, like the VISET buses, we are losing tourists.

"Our daily bread depends on this, and it is unfair that our work is taken because VISET buses are let in just by the ship and we are not," Mr Pace said.

Mr Pace said VISET was also issuing tickets from machines, which, he said, was in breach of a stipulated agreement with the Malta Transport Authority.

"We give a handwritten receipt containing the name of the driver, the cab number, the VAT number and the fare we charge, to each and every tourist who rides in our taxi."

He said taxi drivers were calling for a level playing field, in the sense that the VISET buses should not be allowed onto the quay.

Tour operators organising excursions for cruise liner passengers were also blocked during the taxi drivers' protest. One operator told The Sunday Times that yesterday's protest further worsened the situation at the sea passenger terminal that was bad enough because of the ongoing construction works and the restricted space.

He said the works at Pinto Wharf were also making it dangerous for tourists to walk along the newly constructed road which, so far, has no pavement.

The operator also said that some ship companies have also threatened to strike off Malta from their ports of call list if the situation deteriorated further.

Speaking to The Sunday Times, from Tunis, Joe Grioli, VISET chairman, said that he was considering taking legal action against the police and the ADT for stopping the VISET operations at Pinto Wharf yesterday following the white taxi's disruptive protest.

The ADT's jurisdiction does not cover the customs zone, said Mr Grioli, adding that VISET's shuttle buses had a permit to pick people up at customs and bring them back. They could not pick people up in the street.

Therefore tickets have to be purchased within the customs zone and the tourist had the choice to buy a ticket or travel by taxi or karrozzin.

Mr Grioli denied Mr Pace's allegation that tourists were being "dragged" on to the bus.

"Malta is the only place where tourists are not being given the choice to travel by bus from customs", Mr Grioli said.