WORLDWIDE TAXI FOCUS from France
AS ‘FAKE’ TAXIS PLAGUE PARIS, LEGIT TAXIS CONSIDER LEAVING THE CITY
Daouda, a taxi driver in Paris for over a decade, is dreading the Olym- pic Games. Even though he recognises the promise of more business, he plans on leaving the city for its entirety. “In Paris, there is already too much traffic,” he said. “Have you seen the roads? They’re not ready.” The Olympics will take place from July 26 to August 11 in some of the most heavily trafficked parts of the city, jeopardising an already fragile transportation system that will see an estimated influx of 15m visitors so many cabbies and residents are planning to leave, As licensed taxi drivers in Paris determine whether or not to stay in the city for the games, the spread of unlicensed drivers continues to plague city officials and tourists. These “fake” taxis often charge passengers exorbitant and illegal fares. Paris police are already ramping up their crackdown on the unlicensed taxis in advance of the Olympics. The special unit, called “Les Boers,” said they plan on expanding their presence during the Olympics, namely at event venues. In December, Minister of Transport Clément Beaune promised a crackdown on licensed taxis that refuse to accept credit card payment, which he called “illegal” and “unacceptable.” Further, as of early May, many roads in Paris still appear to be under construction. A Parisian said: “As for road traffic, Paris is already abysmally constructed for the flow of traffic and Ubers take a long time to arrive. Even though the road construction will ideally be finished pre-Olympics, I doubt traffic will ever run ‘smoothly’ here.” For a moment, there was hope that the sky could relieve some of the congestion on roads and underground. In 2023, the German company Volocopter made global headlines when it announced plans for a small fleet of electric, flying “air taxis” to fly routes during the Olympics, with planned routes landing on a floating platform on the Seine. But the
PHTM JUNE 2024
company is still waiting on regulatory approvals from the EU Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and a person involved with the process recently told Politico that “it is highly unlikely this will be ready at the EU level, with a minimum expected delay to 2025.” (The person suspects there will be demo flights with non-paying VIP passengers, like athletes and journalists.) Daouda said that the normal taxi drive of 40 minutes from Charles de Gaulle Airport to the city center could take three hours during the Olympics. He added, “But I’ll be on holiday.”
from Hong Kong
HONG KONG CABBIES JAILED FOR UP TO TWO MONTHS FOR OVERCHARGING
A pair of Hong Kong cabbies has been jailed for up to two months for over-charging under- cover police. Police said that a 54- year-old cabbie sur- named Kong, and a 73- year-old surnamed Yip, had been sentenced to one and two months in prison, respectively. The pair were arrested in separate operations by undercover officers in Tsim Sha Tsui in January. An officer posing as a customer took Yip’s taxi to a nearby hotel. The ride was supposed to cost just HK$40 (£4) dollars, but Yip charged HK$200 (£20). Similarly, Kong asked an undercover officer to pay HK$500 (£50) for a ride to a theme park that would normally cost about HK$200 (£20). Both drivers pleaded guilty to charging excessive fares and failing to use a meter and display a taxi licence. Yip was fined HK$2,500 (£250) and had his licence suspended for 20 months. Kong was fined HK$500 (£50) fine and a four-month licence suspension. Separately, police arrested a taxi driver for allegedly overcharging as part of a citywide crackdown coinciding with the Golden Week holiday, which runs from May 1 to 5 in mainland China. Police warned that drivers convicted of overcharging were liable to a maximum penalty of HK$10,000 and six months’ jail, vowing officers would continue to take action to stamp out the illegal practice.
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