On Wednesday, the Provincial Administrative Court will hold the first hearing regarding the regulation of the maximum taxi fare in Warsaw. – The situation is tragic, as a result of constantly growing inflation, we are on the verge of profitability – lament taxi drivers who accuse the city of having not changed the rates for 22 years.
As we read on the Facebook profile of NSZZ Solidarność Region Mazowsze Professional Taxi Drivers M. St. Warsaw, November 15, 2023 is “a very important date for Warsaw taxis”. At 12.30, a hearing will be held in the administrative court regarding the regulation of the maximum taxi fare in Warsaw.
Some rates have remained unchanged for 22 years
“Over recent years, authorized professional organizations representing entrepreneurs – Warsaw taxi drivers have repeatedly asked the City Hall of the City of Warsaw and the City Council of the City of Warsaw to take appropriate actions aimed at adopting a resolution that will establish and make realistic the amount of the official (maximum) price for taxi transport passenger cars in the capital city of Warsaw,” we read in the taxi drivers’ entry.
As they note, the last regulation of the maximum price took place in 2011 and – as they pointed out – “it only concerned the initial fee, and the rates for the paid kilometer and the time fee have been in force for 22 years.”
“Passenger taxi travel is included in the urban public transport zone, and in the above-mentioned period, ticket prices for public transport have increased several times,” taxi drivers note. And they point out that taxi prices have increased in most large Polish ones. They give the example of Krakow, that in 2022 the maximum rates were set at: PLN 9 – initial fee; PLN 4 – travel one kilometer in the first zone, PLN 6 – travel one kilometer in the second zone.
Taxi drivers also pointed out that prices have changed since 2011. “At that time, a liter of petrol cost about PLN 5, now it costs almost PLN 7, the price of auto gas was PLN 1.5 and now it is close to PLN 3,” they calculated. “The situation at the moment is tragic, as a result of constantly rising inflation and the increase in the costs of maintaining the company and family, we are on the verge of profitability,” taxi drivers complain.
The complaint concerns the resolution of the City Council of December 2011 on setting official prices for passenger taxi transport in Warsaw. It was appealed in its entirety. The date of the hearing was confirmed to us by city hall spokesman Jakub Leduchowski.
Taxi fares in Warsaw
As we read on the city’s website, the maximum toll tariffs apply in Warsaw:
PLN 8.00 – initial fee including taking a seat in a taxi and payment for the first section of the road PLN 3.00 – fee for 1 km of the road at the first tariff (1) – valid on weekdays from 6.00-22.00; PLN 4.50 – fee for 1 km of road on the second tariff (2) – valid on weekdays from 22.00-6.00 and on Sundays and holidays throughout the day; PLN 6.00 – fee for 1 km of the road on the third tariff (3) – applies to trips outside the 1st tariff zone without using the return journey, on weekdays from 6.00-22.00; PLN 9.00 – fee for 1 km of road on the fourth tariff (4) – valid for trips outside the boundaries of tariff zone I, without using the return journey, on weekdays from 22.00-6.00 and on Sundays and holidays throughout the day PLN 40.00 – fee for 1 hour of parking (for all tariffs).
In December 2022, we wrote on tvnwarszawa.pl that councilors dealt with a citizens’ draft resolution at the session, which assumed increasing taxi fares. Drivers wanted a 100 percent raise.
Also earlier, in August, a draft resolution establishing double the rate starting price and tariff rates was rejected by councilors.
Main photo source: TVN24