Complaints about excessively high fares have always existed.
The Rotterdam taxi industry is under pressure due to persistent complaints about high fares and abuses. Jan Sintnicolaas, a taxi industry veteran with almost 60 years of experience, explained his concerns in a conversation with Rijnmond. He sees an abundance of taxi drivers in the city as the core of the problem. “There are simply far too many taxi drivers in Rotterdam. And they all fight for their families and their livelihood,” explains Sintnicolaas.
These comments are in line with recent findings from a study commissioned by the municipality of Rotterdam. Mystery guests, deployed by the municipality, revealed disturbing figures: only 17 percent of taxi drivers drove according to the meter at night, as opposed to 83 percent during the day. This research sheds light on a dark side of the taxi industry in Rotterdam, revealing unfair fare prices and unethical practices.
In response to this, councilor Vincent Karremans hasRotterdam Taxi Approach' introduced. This initiative includes measures such as deploying enforcement officers and checking taxi meters. In addition, a complaints reporting center will be set up and taxi companies that violate the rules will be dealt with.
Sintnicolaas, who has been a taxi driver since 1965, supports the municipality's new approach. He also emphasizes the need to limit the influx of new taxi drivers. “In the past, you first had to take a course and have up-to-date street knowledge. That is no longer the case nowadays. It's far too easy to become a taxi driver,” he explains. His experience and observations underline the urgency to guarantee the quality and integrity of taxi services in Rotterdam.
Councilor for Enforcement, Outdoor Space & Mobility, Vincent Karremans, has unveiled a comprehensive plan on his social media to tackle the multiple problems within this sector. These reforms, which aim to improve service quality and ensure fair prices for consumers, are in response to increasing complaints about the current state of affairs in Rotterdam's taxi industry.
The Rotterdam Taxi Approach marks an important step in the fight against unfair practices in the taxi industry. The focus is on ensuring fair rates and maintaining the quality of taxi services. The municipality, supported by experienced drivers such as Sintnicolaas, is committed to an honest and reliable taxi industry, in which both the interests of drivers and passengers are protected.
This initiative reflects a larger trend in urban areas, where governments are increasingly intervening to improve the quality and reliability of public services. The Rotterdam Taxi Approach can serve as an example for other cities that face similar challenges in their taxi industry.
