Rise in complaints over fixed taxi fares
MORE people are complaining officially about taxi fares – particularly attempts to charge passengers a fixed fare rather than use the taxi meter.
Traffic & Highways said that it had received a ‘considerable increase’ in complaints and has written to all taxi drivers reminding them of the law and warning them not to charge fixed rates unless previously agreed with the customer.
‘In the last few months, we have received an increased number of complaints from members of the public about high taxi prices.
‘In looking into these complaints, we have often found that some taxi drivers have chosen not to use the metered rate, but to charge a set rate, which is only permitted if the booking is made 24 hours in advance and if the customer agrees to the charge,’ the letter stated.
The letter added that consideration was being given to increasing the 24-hour rule to 48 hours and that this would be added as a licence condition going forward.
From the letter, it appeared that many taxi drivers were justifying charging a higher fixed rate due to increased fuel prices.
THS said that this was not a justifiable excuse and described some of the charges as ‘exorbitant’.
‘If a customer wants to pay the metered rate, taxi drivers have a legal obligation to honour this,’ a THS spokesman said.
‘Not all islanders are aware of this right, so we are taking this opportunity to share that information more widely. We would encourage anyone else who is concerned about being charged especially high rates to contact us by emailing passengertransport@gov.gg or calling 221000.’
Nicki Bessin, head of the recently-formed Guernsey Taxi Drivers Association, said that while there was a time and place for fixed price fares, there were regulations which must be adhered to.
‘Taxis are obligated to follow the rules laid out by the States. Any collection from a taxi rank or being hailed at the side of the road, is simply a matter of being a metered fare. Fixed price journeys must be agreed by passenger and driver at the time of booking.’
She added that passengers being asked to pay a fixed price without prior notification should contact the authorities or the association directly, on gsytaxidriversassociation@gmail.com.
