I heard the first gripes about taxi service in Aruba, in 2016. Restaurant-goers had to wait a long time for rides. Restaurants within walking distance to the resorts thrived; those situated a ride away, remained empty.
It is a fact that restaurants in Aruba do NOT do well from May to October. One of my reliable sources reports that the market-share of the smaller Chinese grocery stores has gone considerable up, double digits. He explains that taxis are rare, and hard to find, thus guests staying in vacation rentals give their business to the neighborhood stores, stay home and cook.
Obviously, the four-five big markets are doing exceptionally well, thanks to vacation rental proliferation, and because going out for dinner is no fun, if you must wait so long for a ride.
Aruba has 465 taxi drivers registered, probably 35% of these are older taxi drivers. They only drive in the daytime. Very few are available after 9pm. Another percentage only does the airport run, a few times a day, and the others do not bother to go downtown from Noord. Too much traffic?
So most cabs stay up in Noord and try to get as many short-distance rides.
Every time an “Illegal” taxi driver shows up, the legal taxi drivers call law enforcement, they are protectionists, totally against the introduction of UBER or LYFT.
They want to work less, on their own schedule, and service suffers.
Taxis in Aruba are a dinosaur industry. They have no meters, the majority only take cash, I hear some take credit cards, but I have no proof, many of them are sloppy and unkempt, they keep their radio communication on loud, and crackling, there are still many smokers among them. They don’t make change. You’d better have the correct fare, and they DO NO LIKE to pick up locals, because locals ask for change. Taxi riders on the other hand are subject to a $100 fine, if wet or careless with their drinks.
Around 10 years ago, the thankfully retired minister of transport lowered the number of riders from seven to five. Why did he do that, in spite of opposition? To create room for more rides. A party of six-seven would need two cabs to travel for dinner.
This week the Minister of Transport restored the number to seven.
Taxi drivers, especially those driving vans, have been arguing with visitors about the number of riders allowed in their cabs, for ten years.
That situation is now resolved now.
BUT they now transport seven riders for the price of five. They would like to see a fare increase, and they will be protesting today.
The smaller taxi cabs will be protesting too, they feel they have been squeezed out of the equation.
In general: There are about five dispatcher businesses on the island, collecting fees ranging from double to triple low digits, and the only function they fulfil is communication. Some of them don’t even provide two-way radios, the drivers must buy them themselves.
Regulations? Maximum seven passengers, they are not insured for more, even if they have space, they cannot transport more people in a taxi. Even if drivers invest in bigger cars, the number stays static.
Of the 465 taxis licenses, 200 are independent, and work on their own, no dispatchers, no organization.
A taxi driver is allowed 45 days of sick leave or vacation a year, in which he can hire a helper. Those helpers pay the owner of the cab rent, approximately $65 a day.
When a driver retires, or falls stick, and can no longer drive, his license reverts back to the ministry. It is not transferrable, or hereditary.
But you may write a letter to the minister asking to transfer the license to a family member in the event that it is your sole source of income, and you have a mortgage etc.
According to my sources, the minister suspects that there is business going on with taxi licenses, sold for up to Awg 65.000, and he would like to get a handle on that.
Apropos business: My sources reported that in the past the minister always got a generous donation for his election fund, when taxi licenses changed hands.
And taxi licenses were awarded to loyal voters or campaign-runners, in lieu of thank you notes.
Apropos taxi fares: The list expired in 2022 and hasn’t been revised by those who are paid to revise it.
Taxi drivers are not obliged to undergo any safe driving courses or professional training to qualify to serve island visitors.
