A former Nassau Cruise Port director has lauded the government’s initiative to reclaim nearly 800 inactive taxi and livery plates but emphasized the need for more stringent measures to address the oversaturated market. Ed Fields, who previously served as the port’s director of business development and as managing director of the Downtown Nassau Partnership, urged officials to permanently deactivate these plates and impose a moratorium on new issuances. He also called for the publication of a list of current plate holders, expressing concerns that some plates are held by individuals who should not possess them. Fields criticized the distribution of public service franchises, describing them as ‘coveted gems’ awarded without proper analysis or industry engagement. His remarks followed the Ministry of Transport and Energy’s announcement to recall 783 inactive plates, which Transport Minister JoBeth Coleby-Davis said has distorted revenue at the Road Traffic Department. Fields acknowledged the recall as a positive step but warned that reactivating the plates would worsen market imbalances. He advocated for transparency in plate ownership, a moratorium on new plates until supply and demand are balanced, and an end to the practice of leasing plates, which he likened to ‘sharecropping or indentured servitude.’ Bahamas Taxicab Union President Tyrone Butler echoed these concerns, criticizing the government’s past issuance of new plates without first addressing inactive ones, which he said has led to market oversaturation and forced operators to lease their plates. While supporting the recall of plates belonging to retired or deceased holders, Butler suggested allowing necessary updates to active plates.