Over 250 Taxi Drivers enjoy Appreciation Day at Reggae Beach Bar & Grill

By Ryan Haas
Reporter-SKNVibes.com

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts-THE taxi drivers of St. Kitts were provided a day of revelry and relaxation yesterday (Dec. 22) by the Reggae Beach Bar & Grill as a way of commending them for their significant contribution to the tourism product of the island.

Held between noon and 6 p.m., the Reggae Beach Bar’s 2nd Annual Taxi Appreciation Day was designed to further foster the relationship between the business and the drivers.

“Taxi Appreciation Day was first held last year because we wanted to show our appreciation to them for bringing the tourists here to us. It really shows them that we appreciate everything that they do for us and encourages them to come back while making sure that they have a wonderful time,” Sonia Dyer, Manager at Reggae Beach Bar, said.

She also said that it was important for her company to show their appreciation because their business would be far less without the drivers’ contributions.

“Without the taxi drivers business wouldn’t be like it is. We need them and they need us. We have over twenty-one staff and it would not be easy to support them without the business that the taxi drivers bring here.”

An estimated 250 drivers partook in the event and were given a free lunch of barbeque chicken, grilled fish, Caribbean seasoned rice and drinks.

Additionally, prizes like free cell phones, cash, T-shirts and gift certificates were given away throughout the day, which came from sponsors such as the Reggae Beach Bar, Digicel, O.D. Brisbane, Rams and Island Purified Water. ~~Adz:Right~~

Dyer said that the raffle grand prize of EC $500, which the drivers receive entry for on a monthly basis simply by bringing tourists to the establishment, will be drawn on December 31.

SKNVibes spoke to one of the celebrating taxi drivers, Horace ‘Harris’ Woods, who said that the appreciation day was very encouraging to workers in his profession and gave them the drive to work even harder.

“I think they love it when we bring guests out here and they want to share something with us,” the owner and operator of Harris Tours for the past twenty-two years said.

He also stated that more businesses should take a page from Reggae Beach Bar and assist the taxi drivers that are a vital component of their success.

“At some places we look forward to them helping us out with a little drink or something because we bring the people there to them. We’re not really down on them for it, but I think they could show their appreciation to us because they are depending on us to bring people to them.”

He added that “Reggae Beach has been doing a great job over the years” and they helped him to love his job in a way that he would “not want to trade it for any other job in the world”.