The Saint Lucia Bureau of Standards (SLBS) does its part to enhance the island’s tourism product.

The Saint Lucia Bureau of Standards, SLBS, solicits feedback from the public on a series of standards to be adopted as national standards.

According to Head of Standards at the SLBS, Tzarmallah Haynes, among the new standards are those relating to Tourism and related services.

More specifically, tourist services for public use provided by authorities with jurisdiction over natural, protected areas, as well as Requirements and Specifications for tourism ground transportation.

"These two standards, definitely target persons who offer tourism services, one speaks to the authorities, the other tourism ground transportation gives specific requirements for the actual taxi, the operator, the tour operators, operators of taxi companies as well as their requirements, the requirements of the actual vehicles, and ensuring that you are insured, ensuring that you are properly trained, ensuring that basic safety requirements are met," said Ms. Haynes

According to Haynes, taxi operators will be the stakeholders most significantly affected by the implented standards. 

“The standard forms the basis for the policies being developed by the Ministry of Tourism. And having implemented the standards, it means that you will be meeting the requirements of the Ministry. Let me add that this is not a new standard. This standard has been revised, it was first adopted in 2007, and its under systematic review where we have updated the requirements to include a new line of taxi which is the luxury cars which was absent a couple years ago,” she said.

The Saint Lucia Bureau of Standards is anticipating feedback on the draft standards. The documents are available online at all public libraries and specified stakeholder groups. 

The Deadline for comments is Monday January 18, 2016.