Filenews 28 November 2020 - by Petros Theoharidis
The Department of Road Transport will not allow offers, discounts or reduced charges to be applied in relation to taxi fares, since under current legislation this is illegal.
This is highlighted in yesterday's announcement by the TOM, following strong complaints from taxi drivers, that their colleagues who cooperate with an online taxi booking platform, offer discounts through the relevant mobile application.
The TOM wishes to inform all owners and drivers of urban taxis that from 1.12.2020 it will carry out checks on the correct use of the taximeter as well as the correct collection of the fare on the basis of this indication, it states in a statement.
In particular, attention is drawn to all urban taxi drivers who are contracted with online booking platforms, that they are not entitled under the applicable legislation to resort to methods of calculating the fare other than that calculated by the certified taximeter they maintain in their taxi vehicle and are not entitled to make any offer of a reduced or increased fare.
The Department of Road Transport has sent a letter to the company that has the electronic platform inviting it to remove from its applications anything that causes the above violation of the law and if this does not take place by Monday 30.11.2020 the Department will proceed with complaints. As explained, for taxi services, no other method of calculating the fare is permitted, other than that calculated by a certified taximeter on the basis of the legally defined fare.
Consequently, any change in the taxi fare is prohibited, and no offer from anyone for a reduced or increased fare is legal since it creates conditions of unfair competition.
