Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, with regard to part (a) of the question, I am informed by the National Land Transport Authority that it has not received any representation regarding the transferability of Public Service Vehicle (Taxi) License to a person other than a legal heir. However, I am also given to understand that the criteria laid down by the previous management of the NLTA to consider application for transfer of taxi licenses to persons other than a legal heir are very restrictive and may have to be reviewed. Therefore, the new management at the NLTA will work out a new set of criteria to make it easier for licenses to be transferred between two unrelated parties, subject to some reasonable conditions being satisfied, such as the proposed transferee having worked in the car for which a license is being transferred continuously for a period of time as full-time or part-time driver and the proposed transferee having a clean Certificate of Character, obviously.

41 Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, as regard part (b) of the question, there was indeed a delay in issuing the full-time or part-time driver certificate as such applications were dealt within more than 12 months by the NLTA under the previous management, therefore, penalising both the taxi operators as well as the applicants for full-time or part-time driving certificate. However, as soon as the new management of the NLTA was appointed, I have requested the new team to look into the streamlining of procedures for the services it was offering and one of them was to look into the possibility to issue a provisional certificate to applicants for part- time and full-time drivers. Being given that such applications are now being processed diligently in about two months instead of twelve months, the hon. Member will surely conquer that there is now perhaps no need to issue a provisional certificate at this point in time. With additional officers posted at the Inspectorate Section of the NLTA, this time period will be even shorter, given time. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is to be noted that during the month of June 2025, that is, in one month’s time, 241 files pending since year 2021 have been cleared in respect of applications for transfer of PSV, contract car, contract bus, road service licenses as well as part-time and full-time drivers’ certificate which did not happened at the NLTA for a decade.

One supplementary!

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir. I thank the hon. Minister and the taxi community is certainly appreciating the way the demand for part-time passes is being dealt with. However, will the hon. Minister consider a reform of the system because currently, one part-time driver can apply for a pass, but for only one vehicle. So, whether this can be reformed so that a pass allows him to work not only for one taxi, but for multiple taxis. This will create further job opportunities for part-time and even full-time drivers?

I am not too sure what are the implications. I can discuss with the officers at the NLTA with a view to giving as requested due consideration to the proposal.

Hon. Second Member for Rodrigues! NEW SPORTS BILL & NEW ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK –– CONSULTATIONS – RODRIGUES SPORT COMMUNITIES