Up Front

Taxi Drivers, Tour Operatorsto Wear Uniforms - Minister of Tourism

Tourism Minister, the Hon. McKeeva Bush(third left) addresses a gathering of tourism interests on Thursday,7th December. Also participating are, from left, Mr. Errol Bush,Port Authority Director, Mrs. Angela Martins, Director of Tourism,Mr. Charles Clifford, senior assistant secretary to the ministryof tourism, Mr. Richard Smith, Director of Civil Aviation, Capt.Eugene Ebanks, MLA, Mr. Cline Glidden, MLA, Mr. Rolston Anglin,MLA, and Mr. Phillip Ebanks, head of the Licensing Department.

Taxi drivers and tour bus operators in thetourism sector will soon have to wear
uniforms as they carry out their business, Tourism Minister theHon. McKeeva told of meeting of over 100 representatives of watersports, tour bus and taxi operators, and other tourism interestslast Thursday at the Grand Pavilion's Conference Centre.

The meeting, called "as part of a seriesof meetings with the tourism sector," addressed a wide rangeof issues in the industry, including customers' safety, overcrowdingon boats and expansion of the port facilities. A major thrustof the ministry will be to "get proper organisation"into the industry, Mr. Bush said.

"There is a lot to be done, and it will not be done overnight.This is your business, and the Cayman Islands' business, he toldthe gathering.

Also in attendance were Director of Tourism, Mrs. Angela Martins,Port Authority Director, Mr. Errol Bush, Director of Civil Aviation,Mr. Richard Smith, head of the Licensing Department, Mr. PhillipEbanks, senior assistant secretary to the ministry of tourism,Mr. Charles Clifford, and West Bay MLAs Mr. Rolston Anglin, Mr.Cline Glidden and Capt. Eugene Ebanks.

Among the issues, the Minister pointed out that the conditionof some buses and the appearance of some taxi and tour operatorwere also cause for concern.
"You need uniforms with an island flavor, to allow you tobe more easily recognized," the Minister said, to the agreementof the large gathering.

In addition, business improvement courses will be introduced forall taxi and tour bus operators, Mr. Bush said.

He told the gathering that they "should see themselves asambassadors for tourism," and to be mindful of the role theyplay in making visitors to the island feel welcome, and inclinedto return.

"This is a new era and a partnership," Mr. Bush said."This is not about anybody taking business or a job fromanyone. We can all work together on these issues."
He said that the various units within the tourism industry werekeen to work together to "ensure that everyone benefits,"and called on those gathered to participate. "For too longmany people have not been able to get their fair share. This hasgot to stop," Mr. Bush said.

He disclosed that he had recently had a meeting with some cruiselines, which highlighted concerns such as overcrowding at thedocks, the condition of some tour buses and overloading of someboats, and examined opportunities for small businesses. Notingthat the cruise industry was concerned about the existing portfacilities at George Town, he said that plans for the port's expansionwere being considered.

Participants at the meeting also raised a number of industry concerns,among them pre-booking and overbooking of tours from cruise shippassengers, rates for tours and disorganisation in the dispatchof vehicles from the dock.

"We should demand that government has a set rate for tours,and if operators go below it or above it, they're breaking thelaw," said one tour bus operator, Kenneth Ebanks.

Mr. Bush noted that the rate sheets need to be updated, and thatsome properties were not listed on the existing rate sheets.

Taxi operator Elizabeth Thornton said that something should bedone about a problem on the dock with persons coming off cruiseships and trying to sell more tickets for tours.

There was a call for booths to be set up on the dock for watersports operators to get customers, instead of operators gettingout there to hold up signs. One tour bus operator, Mr. Dave McLaughlinnoted that operators were grabbing people and haggling for customers,and that booths will help to prevent this.

"The grabbling and the manhandling is unacceptable,"the Minister said. "It stops tonight." He said thathe was aware of the bad behaviour and bad language on the dock,and entreated operators to act in a professional manner.

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