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COSTA RICA |
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Airport
Taxis Get The Boot
In three months the orange coloured taxis
will disappear from the Juan Santamaría (San
José) international airport after a move by
the Autoridad Reguladora de los Servicios
Públicos (ARESEP) ordered a revocation of
the permit held by Taxi Unidos that operates
the taxi co-operative at the airport.
The Aresep decision follows an investigation
of the taxi co-operative, where it was found
to have violated the law.
The airport taxi service had been ordered to
use a taxi meter to calculate the fares and
not on a fixed rate based on the intended
destination. The airport taxi service
had installed taxi meters in most of the
vehicles, but continued the practice of
fixed rates, notwithstanding.
For example, a fixed fare between the Juan Santamaría
and Plaza Mayor in Rohrmoser is ¢11.000
colones. However, the fare using the meter,
according to the drivers is ¢9.000 colones
if the drop off is at Plaza Mayor, a little
more if in other parts of Rohrmoser. The
taxi meter fare also depends on the time of
day and traffic conditions.
A red taxi outside the terminal will charge
¢8.000 colones and the informal services
usually charge ¢10.000 colones.
Taxi Unidos was also found that in some
cases it was overcharging customers,
charging rates not approved by the Aresep.
The approved rates for the airport taxis is
¢775 colones for the first kilometre and
¢650 for the additional if in a sedan
¢775 if in a minivan. Customers, in most
cases, were never given the option of the
sedan or minivan, and charged the higher
fare without their knowldege.
Another point made by the Consumidores de
Costa Rica, who had been pushing for a
change at the airport, was the lack of signs
publicizing the rates. The drivers
themselves did not even know the official
rate when asked.
The order will take effect in March allowing
the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y
Transportes (MOPT) to take measures to
provide a taxi service for users of the
international airport.
The airport taxis have always been coloured
orange to differentiate themselves from the
red coloured taxis that provide service
nationwide, licensed by the MOPT.
The exclusive domain of Taxi Unidos at the
Juan Santamaría has been the subject of
controversy and discussion for years.
Informal taxis and red taxis have battled
with the "orange" taxis for fares, while
Taxi Unidos responded with legal action that
resulted in a truce that saw the informal
taxis band together and works as a
co-operative, while the red taxis must wait
for fares at the taxi stop some 100 metres
from the terminal doors, not permitted to
pick up fares in front of the terminal doors
or face sanctions by the Policía de Tránsito. |
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