JUST like the bus owners, a number of cab owners in the capital have also questioned the number of taxis owned by the Asian business men in the country.
Speaking to the Solomon Star on Wednesday, a cab owner and taxi driver Derek Ma’abu said, that the same situation is also faced by cab owners.
“As a cab owner, I also face the same situation that the bus owners have faced in terms of competition.
“I think it is enough for the Asians to run bus and cab businesses in the capital because they are disturbing what an indigenous local Solomon Islanders business was once,” he said.
He added that, most Asian business men in Honiara also owned more cabs than the locals.
“I can confirm that, one Asian business man can own up to twenty cabs, where as a local Solomon Islander owns maybe two or three.
“How do expect us locals to compete with these people in business.
“For us, they are totally ripping us off,” he said.
He added that most locals are also influenced by the Asians to have their names registered as owners of the vehicles but the actual owners were the Asians themselves.
Ma’abu however called on the authorities responsible to also deal with the cab owners on whatever issues that they are helping the local bus owners with.
Earlier this week, local bus drivers and conductors showed their grievances to the Asian bus owners and the responsible authorities by staging a five-hour protest in the capital.
By RONALD TOITO’ONA