Dear editor,
AS it relates to certified taxi drivers at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, I must firstly state that there are many decent, pleasant, respectful and elegantly dressed drivers who help to market our country to tourists and Guyanese alike. They are key pioneers of our impression to the world and in many cases, have helped to enhance our reputation.
However, there are those who bring shame to Guyana by indulging in vulgarity and abusing passengers (asking for a small piece) at this prestigious airport. I am extremely disappointed by the following:1) On Tuesday, 10th January, 2017, I was at the airport and I was very dissatisfied, shocked and embarrassed upon picking up my dear mother, to observe the behaviour of a taxi driver dressed in his uniform speaking loudly to other taxi drivers (some illegal) in the presence of incoming foreigners. He was clearly trying to make a spectacle of himself, but his ignorance may have caused potential investors to be turned away by this simple action.
2) With his mentality for stupidity and the others going along with him, I asked a question to myself: “Don’t they know that they represent our nation?” And then I said to myself: “He is supposed to be a guide, a tourism promoter, but instead he is making an idiot out of himself and embarrassing his country.” We must remember that when people visit countries the first impression that they get is from our peoples.
3) Once I came from foreign and I took a taxi with a young man who was passionate to drive me down. As our destination was Light and Charlotte Streets, Georgetown, I realised that he took a route through Albouystown, Charlestown and Princess Street. In my mind, I thought he could have taken the Mandela Avenue into Brickdam route where I could have seen some places of interest and also observe the infrastructure of the capital city. I was saddened that a man who should be marketing our country, decided to drive on roads with potholes, bumps and no traffic signs. After I got to my destination, I paid him his due without a tip. On another occasion, I and my family arrived at the airport and we needed a mini-bus to carry all of us along with our luggage. As I was asking, one mini-bus driver said that “you need to pay double.” I simply told him that he could not work in such an institution and take advantage of a customer and I refused to pay him such a price, as a man of discipline and as a patriot (although I had planned to pay extra in any case).
4) Following that statement, he refused to take me and my family and all the other taxi drivers said that they would not; I believe there arose a conspiracy which made me believe that they were all working together for each other to get their way by abusing passengers. I began to imagine the level of disrespect and hustle that other Guyanese and foreigners face at the hands of such deceitful taxi and bus airport drivers. It must be reasonable to mention that after this incident had occurred, that the management of the CJIA sanctioned and suspended the bus driver. Later, a senior official of the airport called and apologised sincerely for the ordeal.
I wish to advise the Ministry of Public Infrastructure and the management of CJIA that courses or classes should be given to the drivers on courtesy, respect and hospitality as they are expected to behave with a certain decorum and class. They should be instructed or guided to show visitors to the country places of entertainment, worship and national importance. I wish to reiterate that they are many elegant and decent drivers at present, but they are the few who operate with hooliganism that need to be sanctioned and punished. It would not be a bad decision to bring back the intelligence system, as our nation needs to be proud and to shine for the Caribbean and the entire world.
Incidentally, yesterday on the 17th January, 2017, between 07:30 hrs and 08:30 hrs, I was shocked to see the vulgar quarrel between two of the uniformed taxi drivers attached to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport. I believe that if management checks the CCTV cameras, they should be able to view the entire incident which happened in the presence of many foreigners. I have travelled to Trinidad, Suriname, Barbados, Dominica and even Venezuela; also to New York, India, Egypt, Canada, Europe, London and Moscow and have never seen any such loose vulgarity exhibited by taxi drivers of an international airport. I think that in some cases, suspension might work, but termination is most effective in many situations. When people are contracted for these services, those who abuse the position must be penalised and their licences should be suspended or taken away. It is unfortunate that some people understand only when they are made to feel. I love my country enormously and would even put my life on the line for it. I believe that tourism will play a major role in the development of Guyana. I am calling on the board of the CJIA, the Ministry of the Presidency, the Ministry of Tourism, and the Ministry of Public Infrastructure to look into this matter urgently.
Yours sincerely,
Roshan Khan