Some 21 taxi drivers have been fined so far this year for not working the City Service, the Minister for Transport told Parliament last week.
The Transport Ministry has cracked down on taxi drivers issuing fixed penalty notices to those who miss their City Service shift.
A further two fines have been handed out to taxi drivers for not displaying the identifying logo.
GSD MP Giovanni Origo asked Parliament for the number of fines imposed over the past four years.
He was informed by the Minister for Transport, Dr John Cortes, that no fines were imposed in 2021 and 2023, and that seven fines for city services offences were handed out in 2022.
When Mr Origo questioned the jump in numbers, Dr Cortes responded this was âa clear testamentâ to the way the Ministry for Transport is working since he took up the portfolio.
He added that the Gibraltar Government is ensuring in collaboration for the taxi association that drivers are carrying out their service appropriately.
Dr Cortes said the Ministry for Transport is bringing together further changes to continue improving the taxi service.
He said this would ensure a service that Gibraltar deserves and the Gibraltar Taxi Association and the Government wished to achieve.
But in a reply, Mr Origo described a âhorrendous experienceâ with the city taxi service just a day prior to that exchange.
The GSD MP, who is recovering from a leg injury, had tried to book a cab to take him to Parliament the previous but had been put on hold for nearly half an hour despite being first the phone queue.
In the end, he gave up and walked to Parliament despite his injury.
âIs this normal for a Wednesday at 11 oâclock in the morning for me to call the taxi service to be on hold and on call for 26 mins, to be first in line and not have my call attended to?â Mr Origo asked.
Mr Origo said he believed the service had not improved and questioned whether this was the best that Gibraltar could offer.
Dr Cortes responded that he did not think that Mr Origoâs experience with the service was acceptable and that he would take it up personally with the taxi association.
âI would like to think if it werenât for the steps that we are taking things would be even worse,â Dr Cortes said.
He added that the likely reason for the fines for not doing city service is that the taxi drivers were instead working on âRock Toursâ for tourists.
Dr Cortes said he believed that the fines were making a difference, but that âclearly the difference isnât enoughâ, adding: âThere is work to be done.â
âI am absolutely convinced that the Taxi Association is committed to it and do not like having the bad name that some operators have given them, and I am happy to work with them and the honourable member to make sure that that incident is not repeated,â Dr Cortes said.