“We have been requesting parties for more than two years”
The taxi sector has been sounding the alarm for some time now because the rates of the location taxis are fixed in the urban ordinance. Due to the constant fuel prices, the costs for a taxi ride are out of the clutches and urgent action had to be taken. Ostend now has one solution offered by allowing the taxi companies to choose the rates freely from now on. Between midnight and 6 a.m. a maximum rate of 15 euros applies. For taxi drivers, the ceiling had become unattainable overnight. The amendment of the urban regulations will be submitted to the city council in April.
The obligation to indicate the fares in two places in the taxi, at the rear of the front passenger seat and on the rear window, remains in effect. According to the newspaper Nieuwsblad, Aldermen Hina Bhatti and Maxim Donck are satisfied that an agreement has been found between the City and the taxi companies. The City of Ostend recently consulted with the taxi sector in connection with the rates and reached an agreement. The flat nightly rate was introduced in 2006 and was then capped at 8 euros. In 2016 that became 10 euros. From now on, the City will be free to choose the fares, but will impose a ceiling of 6 euros per journey between midnight and 15 a.m.
Transporters are faced with additional costs due to the explosively increased fuel prices. Electric driving is becoming an attractive alternative in the taxi industry. The war in Ukraine and fears of disruption to Russian oil supplies to the world market are pushing up fuel prices. But the taxi industry is not alone in this. The high prices pose a problem for anyone who needs to fill up regularly. In passenger transport, such as driving schools, shared cars and car rental, fuel also weighs heavily on the costs. And parcel deliverers also notice this.
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