“We feel their concern but safety should come first,” Palacios said.
An insurance policy may be cancelled once the installment period ends, which means that the operator will have to pay for all the expenses in case of an accident, he added.
Taxi operators on Saipan are asking the Department of Commerce to allowed them to pay insurance policy in six installments.
Rabby Syed, Saipan City Taxi Operators Association president, said they find it “very difficult” to fully pay for their insurance after the government doubled it this year.
Syed said they are paying a minimum of $800 in third party liability insurance every year.
“We have been hard by the economic crisis,” he added. “All fees, including the registration of taxi units and driver’s license have gone up.”
Palacios said they may consider payment in two installments.
