The Council for Transport Policy recommended Friday that the Transport Ministry loosen its grip on the taxi industry to introduce greater competition and a variety of services that will benefit consumers.
However, council members failed to hammer out safeguard measures to ensure the safety and quality of taxi services should the industry one day be exposed to competition.
Although the ministry currently controls supply and demand in the industry by restricting the number of taxi operators and vehicles, the council recommended giving licenses to taxi operators based on whether they meet set qualifications.