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PHILIPSBURG--Four taxi associations – Dutch St. Maarten, Airport, Genesis and Philipsburg Independent – are in the late stages of formalising price zones for the island.
After a number of meetings with each other and Transport Minister Ted Richardson, progress had been made, although the plans have not had the final sign-off. This task will now fall onto the newly appointed Transport Minister Claret Connor.
However, the associations chose to publicise the plans in the form of a pre-release. In an invited comment, Airport Taxi Association President Jean Samuel said that the prices are basically comparable to what is currently on the market. At some later date, the prices should also be available for viewing at the SXM Princess Juliana International Airport and online.
The entire island is sectioned off into 16 sections. The lowest price is US $7, which transports passengers within any one zone, with the exception of zone 2 near the airport, where it is priced at US $8. The highest price is US $45, which can take a passenger from Cupecoy to Anse Marcel, for example.
From the airport, passengers can get to Maho for US $8, Cole Bay for US $15, Philipsburg for US $20, Pointe Blanche, Dutch Quarter and Guana Bay for US $25, and Oyster Pond for US $30.
Prices given in these examples are valid for one or two passengers with one piece of luggage each. There are separate group prices; additional luggage is set at US $2 per piece and other boxes or bundles at US $3 per piece. An additional US $5 is charged for travel to hilltops, such as those in Oyster Pond and South Reward.
Rates increase by 25 per cent between 10:00pm and 12:00 midnight, and by 50 per cent between midnight and 6:30am. Children the age of five are charged full price, while those three and four are charged at half-price, and younger ones ride free.
Shopping tours and waiting time are calculated at US $40 per hour excluding the tariff rate. A number of sightseeing tours are also available, such as the Circle Island, City-to-City and Mountain Top tours, which last 2.5 to three hours and cost US $110, $85 and $100 respectively for two passengers, and go for as low as US $25, $20 and $35 respectively for 8 or more passengers.
A four-hour island highlight tour would cost US $180 for one to four passengers or US $40 each for a larger group, and the five- to six-hour, all day tour would cost US $250 for one to six passengers or US $40 each for a larger group.
