TEATT Minister Grisha Heyliger-Marten
PHILIPSBURG--The video of an incident involving the driver of taxi 53 and some visitors, which went viral on several media platforms on Monday, September 2, was immediately brought to the attention of Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) Grisha Heyliger-Marten.
In the viral video the visitors were heard repeatedly asking the taxi driver to transport them back to the airport, apparently after the taxi driver could not find the location where they had to be dropped off. The taxi driver seemed to have an issue communicating effectively in English. She had a deep Haitian accent and at some points was speaking in her native language. The tourists ended up calling the police and they were eventually transported to the airport.
The minister said she had instructed the relevant departments of her ministry to investigate the matter thoroughly. “This is why I have not made any public statement about it until now,” said Heyliger-Marten, breaking her silence on the matter.
According to the minister, the taxi driver in question was heard and it was decided that she should be suspended for a period of 30 days, during which time she is to register for training courses that will improve her service and communication skills.
“I have also apologised in writing to the visitors concerned for this unfortunate experience and, in addition, invited them to return to the island at their convenience at the expense of the ministry,” Heyliger-Marten said.
She explained that there is currently no law or policy in place that allows the TEATT Ministry to revoke taxi and/or bus licences. “However, we plan to implement such measures in the near future. Incidents like these are unacceptable and if we want to hold people accountable for their actions, we must establish clear and strict criteria. Our tourism industry is too vital to allow one person to jeopardise it for others,” she said in a press release.
Meanwhile, as part of a more systemic response to the incident, the ministry has already set in motion a process to establish standardised training for the public transportation sector, especially for taxi drivers who are generally referred to as “ambassadors.” They will be trained in areas such as customer service and etiquette; history, culture and basic geography of the island; communication skills; first aid and CPR.
The goal, Heyliger-Marten said, “is to make them deliver better service to their customers, which will make these feel safe and comfortable.”
Moreover, she said, the Inspectorate of Economic and Transport Affairs (IETA), is exploring a digital system to assist with compliance and to enhance the customer experience. This system, she said, is already being used in Aruba, for example, to modernise the sector.
Heyliger-Marten said more information will be provided in the coming weeks once discussions are finalised with the public transportation operators and other stakeholders in the hospitality sector.
