Antigua and Barbuda's licensed taxi operators are facing a perfect storm of rising overheads, unfair competition from unlicensed drivers, and the perennial squeeze of the tourism off-season — and the president of the United Taxi Company is determined that the issues can no longer be pushed aside.
In a candid interview with Observer Media, UTC President Ian Joseph laid out the challenges confronting the island's transport sector with unusual frankness, signalling that his association is preparing to take a firmer stance on several longstanding grievances.
The Cost of Keeping the Wheels Turning
Joseph pointed to sharply rising overhead costs as a primary concern for drivers. "Over the years, the cost of operating our vehicles is constantly rising," he said. "We can see a definite increase in our overheads to keep our operations going. The price of vehicles is triple, insurance costs triple as well, and we had struggles with the conditions of the road which caused you to replace suspension parts on a regular basis. So yeah, our cost of operating is something of concern now, and it's a discussion that we're having right now."
Joseph added that while projected arrival numbers were visible at the airport during the recent high season, whether those numbers translated into direct financial benefits for the drivers is, in his words, "another conversation."
The Illegal Taxi Problem: "We're Not Gonna Sit Back Forever"
On the issue of unlicensed operators, Joseph described it as a longstanding grievance that has gone unresolved for far too long. "This has been an ongoing conversation for years that the quote-unquote illegal people are given a blight and it is right now a major concern for us," he said. "We've been waiting for the authorities to address this and sometimes you feel like everybody is pushing the gun a little further down the road."
He made clear the association's patience has limits. "We're not gonna sit back forever and watch the illegal people just moving in and out and people who are paying to operate they're suffering. No, that's not gonna happen," Joseph stated, adding that the association would be making a formal announcement on the matter at a later date.
Airport Transport: A Call for Regularisation
Joseph identified the regulation of passenger transport at VC Bird International Airport as a priority for upcoming discussions with the relevant authorities. "We need to have a conversation with the people involved in the department and the transportation department of how we can regularize the way people are being transported out of the airport," he said, expressing hope for a resolution that establishes a clear legal framework for airport transport operations.
Navigating the Off-Season
Asked how drivers manage the lean months of the tourism off-season, Joseph acknowledged it requires careful financial discipline. "Most people in the tourism field would know that we have to live like that," he said. "During the season we have to accumulate and we have to manage ourselves skillfully during the off-season because during the off-season there's a huge dip in money coming in. So we have to live like that. We gather during the season and then the off-season, which is when we have to manage our resources and try to get to the other season."
A Taxi App in the Pipeline
On the question of whether the UTC plans to develop a local booking app to compete with global ride-sharing trends, Joseph confirmed the idea has been on the table but is on hold while the organisation focuses on internal restructuring. "It has been in a conversation before but we're just trying to reorganize the organization. As soon as the whole organization is ready to launch, we are good to go," he said.
The picture painted by Joseph is one of an industry that keeps the wheels of Antigua's tourism economy turning, even as it contends with costs, competition, and a regulatory environment that has yet to fully catch up with the realities on the ground. The UTC's promise to take firmer action on unlicensed operators will be closely watched in the weeks and months ahead.
