Aug. 28, 2009
Q: Several years ago, on a previous tour in Japan, I had a few unpleasant experiences in regards to safety while using the on base taxi service. As a single, younger man, it didn’t bother me much, but now, since I have a family with me on this tour, I would like to know if there have been any upgrades in safety standards or practices for the on base taxi service? If not, are there any future plans for this?

A: Thank you for your question. The Navy Exchange service manager, security manager and taxi concession manager have taken a number of initiatives to improve taxi safety and reduce accidents: From April through May, the taxi operation initiated a safety stand down with the focus on defensive driving and safe operation, pre-employment interviews have been implemented to determine suitability and potential risk, preemployment safety and driving is being addressed before the driver is authorized to operate the taxi, The taxi supervisor is riding with the new drivers and reviewing driving skills, routine safety announcements via radio to the drivers and a suspension/ termination policy has been developed for taxi drivers with traffic violations. Additionally, the Taxi Concessions Insurance Company provided training to all taxi drivers in May. Please be rest assured that all our taxi drivers are well trained and that the safety of our passengers and those outside the vehicle are of our utmost concern.