Algeria not to open up international space for private companies before 2009, says Minister

Algerian Transport Minister Mohamed Maghlaoui said that the opening of Algeria's international space will not be possible before 2009 because the necessary conditions guaranteeing a fair competition are not met for the moment.

Maghlaoui, who was the guest Saturday of the national TV forum, pointed out that the state had not decided to lift the monopoly on internal air transport which is covered exclusively by Air Algérie and Tassili Airlines.

The Minister said that charter flights envisaged by certain private companies could secure the green light from the authorities concerned soon, if all the required conditions were fulfilled.

With regard to public transport management, Maghlaoui underlined that new measures would be taken to better regulate public and private transport in the country’s big cities.

He also indicated that all the complaints and grievances voiced by citizens concerning the bad provisions of service by certain taxi drivers who defy the law in force, would be examined stressing that severe sanctions would be applied against the “recalcitrants and the cheaters”, as he put it.