When travellers picture the potential hazards of a stay on the continent, erratic taxi drivers are rarely top of the list. However, research from the AA reveals that none of the 22 major cities’ taxi services could be described as good. Just six make the “acceptable” grade.
Free-wheeling behaviour by European taxi drivers included using detours to double distances, flouting road rules and travelling at breakneck speeds. This led the driving abilities of tax drivers in 10 cities to be deemed “poor”, with a further six deemed “very poor”.
Although being charged extra for taking the “scenic route” was a key concern expressed by tourists, nine cities received a very good rating for sticking to the route, while ten others were rated as good.
This was with the exception of Ljubljana, in Slovenia, which was deemed poor, while another city was rated as acceptable.
Despite these promising figures, drivers in some countries still insisted on taking the scenic route to fleece their customers.
In Hamburg, a route to a landmark church was made three times longer by a taxi driver, who insisted on travelling to the wrong church. In Madrid, a trip from the airport to the rail station managed to cover twice the average mileage needed.
A clueless driver in Rome demanded €69 for a €50-euro trip after getting lost and extending the journey by two-thirds.
In Amsterdam, a second passenger was picked up without permission, increasing the journey by a third. Both were then charged, with the extra passenger charged €15 and the tester €30, though the latter’s figure was brought down to €25 after he complained.
“Many people making city trips prefer taxis to the mystery of unfamiliar public transport. However the research showed a taxi journey can sometimes be just as daunting as public transport,” said Edmund King, president of the AA.
