17 February 2012 02:09 am Views - 7295
From today all vehicles coming under the association will continue to charge Rs.50 for the first kilometer. However the charge for the second kilometre will be increased from Rs.30 to Rs.32. “We needed to set up an association of our own to address the issues in the meter taxi industry. The meter taxi service had gone unnoticed for several decades but it is vital to recognise the metre taxi service as a growing industry,” the association’s Secretary R. P. Lal Kalinga said.
Out of 80 registered metre taxi companies in Sri Lanka, 30 of them were members of the association which was formed recently to develop the system in which the metre taxi tariffs would work. Most of the members belonging to the association run up to 800 such taxis which include three-wheelers, vans, cars and other vehicles with a metre service.
He said unlike the bus industry the metre taxi owners did not have any means of increasing fares and that the association had to come together to make a decision on the matter, resulting in losses. (Olindhi Jayasundere)