WE OFTEN SEE them but rarely give them a second thought: white-plate taxis operated by a taxi company. We more readily take them, than we would a regular robot taxi. But they're still illegal.
In an interview with THE STAR, an owner of a taxi company said most of the taxis used by his company are white-plate taxis.
"Well, it's mainly because the process to get the red plate is lengthy. When you pay up all the fees it takes a while for everything to come through.
"Since recently though, I have started insisting that we switch over to red plates, but as I said, the problem with that is the time it takes, and nowadays, the red-plate taxi men are hassled more than those who drive white-plate taxis," he said.
He said the company does not own the cars, "A driver comes in with his own car. It is very rare that we go out and get a driver, but as I said, most of the fleet is owner driven."
When asked about the dangers of a white-plate taxi, he said, "There are no real dangers with us because we operate under what is called a Hackney carriage system, so we cannot be operating from bus stop to bus stop. There is a definite difference between us and what is called a robot taxi, with those flat-footed men."
KAVELLE ANGLIN-CHRISTIE
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