A newly formed multi-agency taskforce will oversee the phased reallocation of taxi bases across Fiji as responsibility for stands and bases is handed to municipal councils and other local authorities, Public Works, Transport and Meteorological Services Minister Ro Filipe Tuisawau has confirmed.
The taskforce brings together the Land Transport Authority (LTA), the Department of Transport and the Office of the Assistant Minister for Public Works, and is liaising closely with the Ministry of Local Government and affected stakeholders to manage the change “in an orderly and rational manner,” Ro Filipe said. He stressed the reallocation exercise will not be limited to urban centres, but will also cover rural taxi bases where local ownership and customary land issues are more complex.
“They are closely liaising with the local governments, and also not only local governments, but outside local government areas in terms of the rural bases, with stakeholders such as the provincial councils, TLTB, and the various mataqali who own the land where the proposed taxi stands [are],” the minister told reporters, underlining the inclusion of provincial councils, the iTaukei Land Trust Board (TLTB) and mataqali landowners in discussions about potential sites.
Ro Filipe said the taskforce’s remit includes both mapping and phased relocation of existing bases, and ensuring operators can register appropriately with the LTA under the new arrangements. Some operators have already completed the transition into the base system, he said, while others remain in the process of registering with the authority. No firm statewide timeline was provided, but the minister indicated the work will be gradual and subject to ongoing consultation.
To address anxiety among drivers who fear being displaced, the minister emphasised that the current open taxi system — where taxis operate without a fixed stand and pick up passengers on the move — will not be abolished overnight. “It’s running concurrently, so that it is not chaotic,” Ro Filipe said, adding that continuing the open system alongside formal bases is intended to prevent disruption to both operators’ livelihoods and commuter services.
At the same time, the government intends the new framework to be flexible in recognition of differing local needs. Ro Filipe acknowledged that a fully “strictly based system” would be impractical in high-traffic areas such as city centres and other locations where open operations better serve passenger demand. “For practical reasons, for operational reasons, we’ll still need to be open areas for the convenience of the public,” he said, expressing confidence that “at the end of it, all operators will be catered for.”
The taskforce model and the broader reallocation reflect a shift in responsibility for local transport management to municipal councils and local authorities, with central agencies playing a coordinating and regulatory role. Officials say ongoing stakeholder consultations will continue as the reallocation progresses, particularly in rural locations where customary land ownership requires negotiation with traditional landowners and provincial bodies.
This announcement represents the latest development in the government’s efforts to formalise taxi operations and devolve local transport responsibilities. The formation of the inter-agency taskforce signals a coordinated approach, but details on implementation timetables, the number or locations of bases to be moved, and any compensation or support for affected operators have yet to be released.
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