On August 27, 1994, a group of 14 taxi drivers in Suva halted operations for three hours to inquire about the approval of new working conditions under a new ownership by the Principal Licensing Authority.
As reported in The Fiji Times, the proposed terms required drivers to pay a net income of $150 to Regent Taxis. A spokesperson stated, “Under the conditions, we would have to be appointed as agents to drive Regent Taxis. The driver would be responsible for the payment of all taxes and the Fiji National Provident Fund contributions based on their earnings as a taxi driver.”
The proposed conditions indicated that drivers would be considered self-employed under the agreement and would also bear the costs of fuel. Furthermore, it mandated that drivers exercise care while operating their taxis, while Regent Taxis would cover all maintenance, repair, and replacement costs for the vehicles.
However, the terms did not clarify who would be responsible for repair costs in the event of accidents, and both the company and drivers could terminate the agreement with one week’s notice.
The spokesperson mentioned that discussions with officials from the Ministry of Employment had taken place the previous morning, and drivers were informed that the conditions required input from multiple departments, with responses forthcoming after further information was gathered.
As the new conditions had not yet been approved and were still under review, the drivers continued to work under the old terms.