Safe and reliable transport services for Cabo Verde Note: This project has been cancelled, because it has been withdrawn by the applicant, at an early stage.The Island of Sal in Cabo Verde depends for 90% of its total income of activities in tourism. As there are no organised public transport facilities on Sal, the most common means of transport for local people and tourists are mini buses, pick-up trucks and taxis.The business of 100 licensed taxis is negatively affected by a double amount of illegal taxis that operate with vague tariffs and appear to be unreliable and unsafe. Due to the lack of reliable transport, especially at night, it is rather difficult for tourists to visit areas outside their hotel or resort. As a result, the local tourism sector remains rather underdeveloped.Vany Taxi Drivers wants to improve the taxi services on Sal. For that purpose it will establish a joint venture with the Dutch company Rotterdamse Mobiliteit Centrale RMC B.V. (RMC) and start a professionally organised taxi centre that provides safe, reliable and coordinated taxi services to the local population and the visitors of Sal.All licensed taxi drivers can join this taxi centre as an associate.The project partners aim to improve the quality of the taxi services by:1.	implementing new quality standards based on ISO;2.	ensuring transparency of tariffs;3.	guaranteeing the uniformity of taxis and taxi drivers;4.	developing safety standards and a code of behaviour for the drivers.Besides an intense training programme, project partners will invest in special taxi vehicles, an advanced communication infrastructure and the establishment of a professional workshop for repair and maintenance of vehicles.In summary, the business model will have three sources of income: own vehicles, contribution paid by associates and the workshop.Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)RMC has an active CSR policy. RMC possesses the ISO 9001:2000 certificate and stimulates its associated taxis to obtain the same or at least fulfil the requirements of the national taxi label 'TX Keur'.RMC offers attractive employment conditions: collective health insurance, good pension fund, car insurance, 50% discount on a sporting ticket, travel expenses, trainings. RMC enables smaller taxi companies to sign the Rotterdam covenant on incidents of violence by allowing them to use their communication network. RMC maintains strict procedures in collecting and disposing its waste.VTD ensures a fair payment of its employees (25% higher), 8 hour work day for its drivers instead of 12 hours, access to trainings, paid holidays and accommodation and moving expenses for employees from other islands.The new taxi centre will obtain ISO quality and safety certificate, good employment conditions including good salaries, possibility to work part-time, social security and health insurance for the employees and their families, free lunch coupons, uniforms, trainings, possibility for the (associated) drivers to obtain company shares. In addition, a project to help street children will be assisted.Impact•	Employment and working conditionsAt the end of 2011, the company will employ 47 employees, including the 9 already working for VTD. Of these 47, 1 is high-level and 3 medium-level. Two years after the project, this will have been increased to 67 employees.Cabo Verde does not have an official minimum wage. The employees will receive a monthly salary 25% higher than the average paid for comparable functions. Salary increase will be 2% per year. The company ensures a safe and comfortable working environment with regards to the facilities provided in the office and workshop. Employees have access to canteen facilities, social security, health insurance and training. The drivers and workshop staff receive working clothes and shoes.•	Innovation/Transfer of knowledgeThe knowledge on operation and management of a professional taxi centre coordinating rides for associated taxis is new for Cabo Verde as well as the communication infrastructure of the centre. Knowledge on the quality and safety procedures of ISO is new within the taxi sector in Cabo Verde. The operation of special transport services for elder and disabled people is unknown as well. The development of an "APK-keuring" with the local government will introduce a new concept in Sal and eventually in Cabo Verde.•	Chain effectsThe taxi centre will provide work to at least 80 drivers of the 40 associated taxi entrepreneurs (every taxi has 2 drivers per day) in 2011, this will increase with another 70 drivers to 150 in 2013. Those taxi drivers will have additional income as a result of the 40% additional rides through the taxi centre.The entire transport sector on Sal will benefit as the standard will be uplifted.The local customers will benefit through an affordable, reliable and safe means of transport over the island.The tourism sector will benefit from the taxi centre, as it enables tourists to safely visit more places on the island during the day and at night time. Those tourists will spend more money outside the luxury resorts, which will be beneficial to the Cabo Verdean owners of souvenir shops, restaurants and bars. It will create a positive image of Sal in the tourist industry which can attract even more foreign tourists.After the project the local government, police, fire brigade and ambulance will benefit by making use of the established communication network at a different frequency.•	EnvironmentThe project will have a neutral effect on the environment. The operation of the taxi centre could potentially have a negative impact as more cars will be used on the island. However, the cars to be used will be new cars and will have an energy label A. For the associated taxi's one of the requirements to become a member is that the car needs to be in a good condition. All cars will be regularly checked and maintained.The taxi centre's coordination of taxi rides will ensure an efficient execution of rides, bringing down the number of "empty kilometres".The workshop will be equipped with Western equipment of high standard in accordance with European standards on safety and environmental issues. The floor of the workshop will be a liquid tight one in order to avoid any leakage to the ground water. The waste will be collected and disposed of, according to Western standards.•	Position of womenThe taxi centre will employ a majority of women for its different function ranging from head of education until mechanical worker or taxi driver. The taxi centre will ensure the possibility to use safe and reliable transport services 24 hours per day, increasing the possibility for women to work also at night-time hours in restaurants and hotels. To establish a professionally organised taxi centre on the island of Sal with 13 own taxi vehicles, 4 (mini) buses and 40 taxis of associates and to run an own car repair and maintenance workshop.