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TAXI

UberPop drivers in Zurich are operating illegally

UberPop drivers who do not have a taxi permit are operating illegally and could be fined, Zurich’s government said on Thursday.

UberPop drivers in Zurich are operating illegally
Photo: Uber
UberPop is a budget version of app-based ride-share service Uber which essentially allows anyone to become a taxi driver using their own car. 
 
Under UberPop rules, drivers must be over 21 and own a car with four doors but need not be a professional taxi driver. The service’s low tariffs and casual nature mean most UberPop drivers are not full-time drivers earning a living from it and therefore should not be classed as ‘professional’, feels the company.
 
But following Uber rules doesn’t make them legal in the eyes of Swiss law, Zurich’s government said in response to questions from MPs, according to news agencies.
 
Not only must they obtain authorization from local authorities but they must also install a tachograph in their vehicles to monitor speed, driving time and rest times, it said. 
 
In Switzerland Uber operates in Geneva, Lausanne, Basel and Zurich, but its arrival in the country has not been without controversy. 
 
The low-cost service has riled professional taxi firms who feel it undercuts them on price whilst not respecting regulations. 
 
Demonstrations have been held in several cities, Uber drivers have faced fines and legal action is ongoing in Geneva after Uber appealed against a ban on the service. 
 

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TAXI

Paris drivers fined and banned after tourists charged €230 for airport taxi trip

Three Paris drivers have been fined and banned from driving after tourists were charged €230 for a taxi from Charles de Gaulle airport into the city, in a case brought by Paris taxi authorities to try and deter unlicensed drivers from performing this type of scam.

Paris drivers fined and banned after tourists charged €230 for airport taxi trip
Illustration photo: Philippe Lopez/AFP

Taxi fees from the airport into the city are capped at €53 for the Right Bank and €58 for the Left Bank, but tourists are frequently ripped off by unlicensed drivers who operate at airports and large train stations.

The latest case involved passengers who arrived from Hong Kong on January 1st and were charged €230 for the trip into the city centre.

This time the taxi drivers’ association L’association les Nouveaux Taxis Parisiens brought a civil action against the scammers, fed up with the overcharging which, they say, brings their profession into disrepute.

READ ALSO What you need to know about taking a taxi in Paris

Three men were brought before the court over the scam and produced a convoluted tale of extra charges for clearing up vomit from drunk passengers, which the Hong Kong tourists denied, while one man claimed he had only been at the airport to buy Nespresso capsules, to which the magistrate replied ‘Mmmmmm’, according to French newspaper Le Parisien

The driver was fined €200 for overcharging and banned from driving for a year, while his accomplice was banned from driving for six months. Both were ordered to pay €1,000 in damages. A third man, who was not present but whose legitimate taxi license the unlicensed driver was using, was given a €1,000 suspended fine and ordered to pay €1,000 in damages for complicity in the illegal practice of the profession.

Jean Barriera, leader of the taxi drivers’ association, said afterwards that he did not think the sentences were severe enough, adding that he had brought the case: “To defend the image of cabs. It’s the whole profession that these individuals sully.”

Paris, Nice, Cannes, Antibes, Toulouse and several other French cities have fixed rates for taxis, you can find the full list here

However these only apply to official taxis. If you are using a VTC service like Uber the price will vary depending on availability, although it will be fixed before you get into the car.

Unlicensed drivers are common at airports and stations including Gare du Nord. French taxi drivers are not allowed to solicit for fares, so if someone approaches you and offers you a taxi they are probably unlicensed – instead go to the taxi rank to find an official vehicle.

Click here for the full list of rates and what you need to know about taking a taxi in France.

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