We’ll help boost passengers’ confidence in airports – airport taxi operators

Airport taxi operators in Abuja said on Tuesday that they would play their part toward ensuring that local and international passengers have confidence in the nation’s airports.

The president of President, Abuja Airport Car Hire Association (AACHA), Chief Ekwuemeaku Edom, said this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Edom told NAN that members of the association were conscious of their role in protecting the nation’s image.

He said airport taxi drivers are among the first group of Nigerians foreigners come in contact with on arriving in Nigeria.

Edom said it was therefore imperative for them to conduct themselves in a manner that would not tarnish the nation’s image.

He said the association would continue to collaborate with relevant agencies to ensure that unscrupulous elements did not operate as airport taxi drivers in Abuja.

“We are working to protect the image of our country; we are also working to protect our business.

“That is why you have not heard that somebody had been robbed along airport road unlike what we hear in other parts of the country.

“We are very mindful of what we do and those we allow to operate as airport taxi drivers”, Edom told NAN.

He said the association had a database of all registered airport taxi drivers in Abuja, adding that the data helps it to check the activities of its members.

“In our secretariat we have our members’ data such as where you come from; Local Government Area, the town union you belong, church or mosque where you worship; former employers; among other information.

“We also have a clerk who keeps records of flight schedule to know which airline arrived at a particular time and which car numbers took passengers at that time”, he said.

He said the activities of the association had been appreciated by the Federal Government through the award of Member of the  Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) on one of its members.

He told NAN that the member was rewarded for returning 18 million dollars to a foreigner who forgot it in his car.