PHILIPSBURG — In the wake of a troubling incident that has gone viral on social media, the President of the Dutch St. Maarten Taxi Association (DSTA), Maya Friday, has issued a public statement highlighting the urgent need for reforms in the island’s taxi permit and training systems.
The incident, which occurred on Monday, September 3, 2024, involved an airport-based female taxi driver who apparently lost her way while transporting newly arrived passengers. The passengers, who became increasingly concerned with the situation, asked to be taken to a police station or back to the airport after the driver claimed to be making a detour to avoid traffic. The driver, who is a member of the St. Maarten Airport Taxi Association (SATA), refused, prompting the passengers to call the police and film the entire episode. The videos quickly spread on social media, creating a media buzz across the island.
Maya Friday clarified that the driver in question is not a member of the DSTA. “The driver in the video is not a member of the Dutch St. Maarten Taxi Association. However, she did temporarily work with the association before obtaining her own taxi permit in October of last year,” Friday stated. She emphasized that the DSTA does not train taxi drivers but tests their knowledge of the island before they are allowed to work with the association. “Her work responsibilities were limited because she required proper training,” Friday added.
Friday, who has been in the field for over a decade, lamented the long-standing issues with the government’s handling of taxi permits. “In those 10 years, all taxi associations have been begging the governments over the years to properly screen and train permit seekers before issuing them permits. But of course, because our politicians use permits as political pawns to gain positions of power, those of us in the field must suffer the consequences of their irresponsible decision making,” she said.
She criticized the government for overlooking better-qualified individuals and failing to conduct proper studies on the need for more taxis. “No proper study was conducted on whether more taxis were needed. Instead, a bandaid was placed on the situation, and now the wound is festering. We did not need more taxis; we needed a solution to the traffic,” Friday asserted.
The DSTA has researched potential training partners but has been stymied by a lack of government support. “The Dutch St. Maarten Taxi Association has done its research into finding proper training partners. Unfortunately, the ones that exist require an invitation from our local government. The invitation has never reached the right places,” Friday explained.
Expressing frustration with the recurring issues, Friday said, “What will happen is the usual hysteria for one week, and then it’s back to the same old, same old until another situation happens again. The people who are trying to fix the situation over the years get tired and give up. That’s why government continues its bad practices and gets away with it.”
Friday concluded with a stark warning about the island’s reputation. “While we sit back and point fingers, the island’s reputation is sinking faster than the Titanic. And it’s all because of some greedy politicians who think their wants and needs trump the well-being of the island and its people,” she said.
The DSTA President hopes that this incident will finally bring the necessary attention to the matter. “Yes, the lady in the video was wrong. She needs training, but there are so many more than her that need it. I am hoping that now we will receive the proper attention to this matter. The ship is taking on too much water and may not ever be salvaged,” Friday concluded.
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