Taxi Fare Hike Only To Adjust For Inflation, Taxi Association Promises
Taxi fares will soon be more expensive, however, taxi drivers are asking for only a 6% increase in fares.

Gilberth Ureña, spokesperson for the Federación Nacional de Cooperativas de Taxi (taxi association) said that the increase would be higher if the "automatic adjustment" calculations come into effect.

Without specifics of the increases the taxi association is asking for, Ureña said that the public can rest assured that it will not be as high as the increase in the automatic adujstment that would see the first kilometre rate go from the current ¢350 to ¢400 colones.

The taxi association is not in favour of any huge increases as they have seen taxi ridership drop in the last series of increases that almost doubled taxi fares. Ureña said they are looking simply for an adjustment to inflation.

Taxi fares come up for review every six months and thanks to a Sala Constitucional (Constitutional Court) ruling, the previous automatic fare adjustment was nullified, which now allows taxi fares to be adjusted based on requests to the public prices and services regulator - Autoridad Reguladora de los Servicios Públicos (Aresep).

Ureña also reminded that users of taxi services should insist that the driver use the "maria" or taximeter and to keep an eye on the costs and report any taxi that is using an altered meter to calculate the fare, as some taxi drivers prefer to use thier own rates table for service rather than the taximeter, which in most cases is to the detriment of the user.

The Aresep has received many complaints of altered taximeters and has found that in rural areas like Aguas Zarcas, Puriscal, Turrialba, Tilarán, Playas del Coco, Cañas, Nicoya and many other areas, taxis have their own table of rates which are not approved by the Aresep.