Taxi operator extraordinaire, Mally Peltier, who died last week at the age of 81, has been described as an icon in the tourism and transportation sectors.
“He made a tremendous contribution to Dominica’s development and his loss is a great loss for Dominica,” Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said during his Anou Palay talk show on Sunday. “And I continue to pray for his family that the good Lord may bless them and keep them and give them the strength to deal with this loss. The prime minister described Peltier as a personal friend who was “very much interested in Dominica’s development.”
Peltier, the father of 11 children, including local calypsonian Intruder, and husband of Daphne Peltier, has been ailing for the past few years.
He was for many years, one of the more prominent taxi operators on the island as the proprietor of Mally’s Taxi, a long-running, reliable taxi service, popular for airport services. The business, with an office located on Cork Street in Roseau, has, in recent times been run by Peltier’s two sons, Marvin and Derwin.
Peltier was, in 2008, after more than 40 years of service in the taxi business, was awarded a Dominica Services Medal of Honour which was bestowed on him by President of Dominica Nicholas J. O. Liverpool.
Mally’s taxi was the fist bus service to run up and down goodwill in the mix 90’s. before that you had to walk it up federation drive. Shortly after other bus drivers realized that goodwill/st. aroment was also a viable market and began the rout also. I remember the brown buses well. Large up Mr. Peltier.