The publication by Aéroports du Cameroun (ADC) of a call for applications to select drivers who will operate the future official taxi service at the international airports of Douala and Yaoundé-Nsimalen has raised numerous questions.
Presented as an initiative aimed at improving the quality of transportation services offered to travelers, the reform has been met with mixed reactions. Many taxi drivers who have worked around the airport terminals for years fear they could gradually lose access to their main source of income.
According to these professionals, the restructuring could result in the loss of thousands of jobs in favor of a more restricted system whose selection criteria have yet to be fully clarified. Several voices are already calling for greater transparency regarding the recruitment process, the actual beneficiaries of the new scheme, and the guarantees that will be provided to drivers currently operating at the airports.
Among the public, some have expressed concerns that the reform could benefit only a limited circle of individuals. At this stage, however, there is no publicly available evidence to substantiate these allegations. Nevertheless, these concerns underscore the importance of ADC communicating clearly and transparently to avoid any perception of favoritism.
Trade unions and representatives of taxi drivers may seek to open discussions with ADC’s General Management to ensure that the modernization process does not come at the expense of workers who have been providing airport transportation services for many years.
Modernizing infrastructure and services is a legitimate objective. However, it should not lead to the exclusion of experienced professionals without consultation or appropriate support measures. Any reform affecting the livelihoods of hundreds of families should be carried out with transparency, fairness, and respect for the principles of good governance.
Ultimately, the debate goes beyond the organization of airport taxi services. It raises broader questions about how public reforms are implemented, how existing jobs are protected, and how much trust citizens place in the institutions responsible for carrying out such reforms.
