Taxis tend to be busy during the Christmas party season. In order to have a smooth journey, remember to ask about the fare before entering a taxi, always ask for a receipt, and book your taxi in advance in order to secure availability, Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority (KKV) and Finnish Transport Safety Agency (Trafi) point out.
The pricing of taxis was freed as the Transport Services Act entered into force in July. If you seldom use a taxi, it makes sense to brush up on the main changes to the services. Three basics will help you use taxi services both in everyday life and during the festive season: asking about the fare, requesting a receipt and planning in advance.
Price
The price of a taxi ride can depend on, for example, the time of day, taxi company, booking methods and requested additional services. It is essential that clients know how much the ride will cost or on which grounds the price will be determined when entering a taxi. If the price of the ride exceeds EUR 100, the driver must clearly agree on the price with the customer beforehand.
Receipt
A taxi journey may sometimes differ from what was originally agreed. In problematic situations, it is important that consumers use their rights. The customer should always ask for a receipt, as it makes it easier to resolve issues.
Planning ahead
As a result of the legislative reform, the on-call duty of taxis was removed, which is why we recommend ordering a taxi in advance in order to ensure availability, especially at night or outside cities. “If you use an app to book a taxi, all these issues will be neatly combined: you can see the price as soon as you make the booking, the app will usually tell you when the taxi is on its way, and the receipt will be saved electronically”, says Trafi’s Director General of Road Transport Marko Sillanpää.
You can also learn about the changes in taxi services through KKV’s and Trafi’s animations (link in Finnish), which deal with the changes in taxi services in general, taxi use from the perspective of persons with reduced mobility, and what to do if the journey does not go quite as desired.
“These days, taxi services are like any other service: you do not buy anything without knowing the purchase price in advance. Already before confirming or beginning the journey, the consumer has a right to obtain information from the taxi or the taxi call centre regarding the fare, or how the price will be determined”, emphasises KKV’s Legal Adviser Jukka Kaakkola.
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