Tourist Taxis Federations are warning that they will strike at airports, hotels and ports if the Minister of Tourism does not remove an illegal taxi fleet that they say belongs to their competitor group, head by Antonio Marte.
National Tourist Transport Federation (Fenatratur) president Santiago Zamora says that the illegal operation is operating at the new hotel Embassy Suites Santo Domingo by Hilton but has not been certified by the Ministry of Tourism.
At a press conference held yesterday, Monday 7 July, they called on Tourism Minister Francisco Javier Garcia and President Danilo Medina to find a solution to the problem. They stated that they would take the fight to the streets if the authorities fail to remove the taxi company.
Zamora said that this new organization was aiming to get rid of his tourist taxi organization that has 15,000 members across the country and that this could not be allowed.
He went on to name the people in the organization, mostly members of Antonio Marte’s family.
While the Constitution guarantees business freedom in the Dominican Republic, transport groups have intimidated the Dominican government through acts of vandalism, and the authorities accept their de-facto monopolies on hotel and airport taxi services, in addition to public transport and cargo routes in the country.
Read more in Spanish: http://www.listindiario.com/la-republica/2014/7/7/328897/Taxistas-Turisticos-amenazan-con-paralizar-servicios-en-aeropuertos-y