SXM Taxi App reps presents to Parliament, Cleaver clarifies airport ad cancellation

GREAT BAY--SXM Taxi App representatives, during the Parliamentary Committee of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication meeting on Tuesday reported that an approved advertising placement at the Princess Juliana International Airport arrivals area had been cancelled within days. They told MPs that airport management linked the cancellation to instruction from the Ministry of TEATT.

When contacted for comment, the Minister rejected that characterization, stating that she and the Ministry cannot direct the airport’s chief executive to take such actions and that questions on the decision should be addressed to the director. "I do not appreciate that implication," she said.

In an invited comment, PJIA CEO Michael Cleaver explained the cancellation as a contractual correction tied to airport concession currently in place with the Airport Taxi Association. He said the placement was approved by his commercial team although the airport maintains a concession agreement with the Airport Taxi Association. After complaints from the concession holders, he reviewed the file and exercised a thirty-day cancellation clause, calling the original approval an oversight.

Cleaver said ministries sometimes call to ask if the airport is aware of issues, however they do not instruct him, and the decision was the airport’s. He noted that the association and the app operator have been in dialogue about possible cooperation and he supports such efforts in the interest of travelers. He added that this is entirely up to the parties involved. The airport viewed the placement of the ad as sensitive in the absence of a formal agreement among all parties.

Regarding the SXM Taxi App itself, Minister Heyliger-Marten, as she has before, explained that government announced months ago it would move forward with a government-owned app, an innovation which forms part of a broader clean up of the public transportation sector, therefore formal endorsement of a private platform is not under consideration.

In her remarks, Minister Heyliger-Marten said she cannot in good conscience endorse the platform when its rates are higher than government's. And, she cannot endorse a privately owned company that operates without government oversight. She argued that rider pricing through the app sits above government regulated fares, describing it as roughly 20 percent higher. For example, if a tourist informs a taxi driver that they booked a fare on SXM Taxi App for $30, the taxi driver could turn and offer the same service for a fare of $15, so the percentage markup, in terms of business, is to cover revenue loss in such cases. The Minister reiterated that a government app, with uniformed government fares, is in preparation and that her position has been consistent since the outset.

Earlier in the day, SXM Taxi App representatives presented its platform as a local solution to long standing challenges in the market, including limited availability at peak times, inconsistent service, pricing disputes, and safety concerns. Co-founder Lisa Gumbs and app developer Anthony Piacquadio reported 3,365 completed rides to date, 272 licensed taxi drivers onboard, and 12,556 registered riders, with daily usage in the hundreds of trips during busy periods. They said drivers pay no commission, riders see a transparent 15 percent service fee and a small card processing fee before booking, and drivers receive 100 percent of the base fare. Fares are calculated with a geofenced zone system that mirrors Dutch- and French-side tariff structures. Itemized receipts are issued to riders and drivers after each trip.

The team outlined verification and safety controls. Only licensed taxi drivers are approved after submitting a profile photo, taxi license and government ID, vehicle photos, and their official taxi number. Riders and drivers are authenticated, every trip is tracked in real time, and complete ride histories are stored in a secure back end. A one time passcode must be exchanged at pickup before a trip can start, and an SOS tool is being integrated. Payments are processed through local banks, including Windward Islands Bank, RBC, and Orco Bank. For specific use cases, a cash voucher workflow can be enabled so a ride is recorded while the driver receives cash.

A permanent discount for verified island residents is set at 25 percent, following a 50 percent launch phase. Residents upload valid ID for admin approval, and drivers see discounted local requests highlighted and may accept or decline. SXM Taxi said the discount is intended to steer residents toward licensed taxis rather than unauthorized operators, improve late night safety by reducing street hails, and support working families, students, and seniors. A curated luxury category operates with strict admin approval and an adjustable multiplier, while allowing luxury drivers to accept standard fares during off peak times. Upcoming tools include shuttles for hotels, schools, and businesses, and an optional shared ride feature that would allow cost splitting for riders heading in the same direction.

On airport and harbor operations, the company said it is not seeking to replace line systems. It has submitted proposals to the Airport Taxi Association and the Dutch St. Maarten Taxi Association that would keep existing dispatching in place while adding app and kiosk bookings. Under that approach, each app or kiosk ride originating at the airport or cruise port would generate a fixed per ride payment to the relevant association, with no extra cost to drivers and full transparency in the system. Piacquadio told MPs that a virtual queue could give drivers the flexibility to enter the airport rotation without waiting in line for long periods, with alerts prompting drivers to return as their turn approaches.

MPs questioned the company on verification and licensing, concessions at the harbor and airport, alignment with regulated tariffs, cashless processing and funds flow, decal use on private vehicles, luxury category licensing, cross border use on the French side, data sharing for congestion and wait time analytics, and cyber security. The presenters said only licensed taxi drivers are activated after review, that the pricing engine is anchored in the zone lists on both sides of the island, that processing is local, and that some decals on non taxi plates are paid advertising or community support rather than authorization to carry riders. They reiterated that they can provide a government portal for lawful oversight, including ratings and anonymized trends to support mobility policy.

The Committee noted the operational details, the association revenue proposal, the verification and enforcement approach, and the offer to build a government back end. Follow up is expected to focus on regulatory alignment, concession arrangements, data protection, cross border coordination, and defined pathways for using aggregated platform data in transport planning.

Parliament stopped short of endorsing the app, but encouraged the SXM Taxi App representatives to keep pushing towards success. MP Veronica Jansen-Webster added that even Uber received push-back in the early stages of its platform launch. This, she said, did not deter them.

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