Taxi fares to be raised in the summer

Taxis are getting more expensive. Traveling will cost ten percent more in the capital from the beginning of summer. As ATV.hu reported, the leaders of the passenger transport companies have already agreed on the issue of fares, but they still need the support of Budapest General Assembly. However, alternative solutions were also brought up: the manager of Budapest Taxi sees other ways than raising fares.

Due to the agreement, the basic fare will increase from 1.44 euros to 2.24, the price per kilometre will increase from 0.89 euros to 0.96, while the price of waiting will be raised from 22 cents to 24 per minute. The agreement was concluded at the assembly initiated by chief deputy mayor Balázs Szeneczey on Thursday. The representatives of taxi companies and trade union leaders participated in the discussion.

According to the president of the National Taxi Association, Zoltán Metál, about 30-60 days will be provided after the final agreement for the preparation, meaning that tourist arriving during the summer season will encounter the new prices.

The National Taxi Association states that the taxi fares in Budapest will not be high even after the increases, at least compared to the other European countries. Budapest will remain the second cheapest city after Prague. Index.hu, however, does not share this optimism: the news portal claims that the current fares are already exceedingly high compared to the region. For instance, Budapest’s prices are four times higher than in Kiev.

Budapest Taxi was the only taxi company opposing the decision of the assembly because they have not even decided about the approximate amount of increase.  The company’s manager, Nándor Oravecz stated that the income of the drivers could be raised by other methods as well.

He brought up decreasing the expenses and increasing tariffs as possible ways to improve the salaries of taxi drivers.

Oravecz also added that his company intends to examine the question of income as a complex issue, while the entire National Taxi Association sees increasing the fares as the only possible solution.

Whether the content of the agreement will come true or not is still up to the Budapest General Assembly.

Source: ATV.hu