He declined to be identified.
He himself has a foreign student entry permit and is currently enrolled at a school on Saipan.
“I go to school in the morning and work for 12 hours a day as a taxi driver,” he said.
The vehicle he uses is registered and he said he abides with the traffic rules and regulations.
He said some of the other illegal taxi drivers are dependents of foreign workers while some are foreign students like him.
He earns an average of $50 a day.
He said as long as the taxi looks like a private vehicle and as long as they violate no traffic violation, he is safe from being caught.
He cited high tax rates and strict licensing procedures as the reasons why he does not want his car to be registered as a taxi.
Some passengers interviewed by this reporter said they prefer riding an illegal taxi because it is cheaper.
“It only costs $3 from Garapan to Dandan which is way cheaper than riding a taxi from Duty Free Shop or a hotel,” a resident said.
She added that some of the drivers of illegal taxis are her friends.
