– Dr. Luncheon
HEAD of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon said Government agencies will use only taxi services that have complied with the Government-sanctioned colour coding. This, he said, was a decision that Cabinet took at its last meeting on Tuesday. He was speaking at his post-Cabinet press briefing held at the Office of the President yesterday.
“Cabinet further examined developments in its initiative to regularise taxi services in support of a burgeoning tourism drive and consumer interests. Cabinet recalled the agreements with the industry that led to the emergence of the yellow cab segment in this private transport industry.

Cabinet agreed and has now given the green-light that would allow the yellow cab companies and operators exclusive access to contracts for transport services by Government agencies,” he said.
“I would want to believe that you would appreciate that short of an actual coercive step, that our approach as a government is to encourage individuals, companies and special interests in an appropriate direction. We have recognised the merits of the yellow cab initiative and to allow it to flower, to achieve maximally what is possible…” Luncheon said, noting that “incentives have always been recognised as a good driver”.
“This is an incentive to encourage the old cab driver to turn into the new yellow cab driver knowing that dedicatedly, there are opportunities available were he or she to do so,” the HPS said.
In addition to being able to access government transportation contracts, the yellow cabs will also benefit from a range of concessions that were revealed at a meeting on October 4.
Following that meeting with President Bharrat Jagdeo and members of the Taxi Service Association, it was announced that there will be a 25 percent reduction in excise tax charged on vehicles, imported for registration as a yellow cab, a ten-year waiver on motor vehicle licences fee paid by registered yellow cabs, and a ten-year waiver on fitness fees for yellow cabs.