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Taxi drivers fear new increase in their rates
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

There probably is not a more battered group than the Central Valley taxi drivers.

They are caught between rising gasoline prices and a decrease in passengers caused by higher taxi rates. They have to take their vehicles to be inspected not once but twice a year.

The roads are bad, and they ruin their vehicles. If they are not careful, their vehicle will get hit by the new commuter train that runs at street level.

A check of taxi drivers Tuesday found people who are hurting financially. They have suffered a falling off of passengers since higher rates went into effect in March.

Taxis can be seen at key places drawn up in long lines. These are taxis that are not working.

Even Tuesday during a heavy afternoon rain plenty of empty taxis were available in the downtown. Rumor has it that when rains start, all taxi drivers go someplace to have coffee. Although more than an exaggeration, rain does make empty taxis scarce. But not Tuesday.

The drivers are quick to share their tales of woe.

"You are only my second passenger today."

"I worked all night and had to put all the money in the gas tank.

Back in August 2002 taxi drivers were collecting 210 colons for the first kilometer of travel. That went up 10 colons that month. Gasoline was 213 colons per liter. The colon was 362.6 to the dollar then. Gasoline was $2.23 a gallon and a short taxi ride was 58 cents.

Now gasoline is $3.78 a gallon, a 70 percent increase. And a short taxi ride is 69 cents, a 19 percent increase. And the bank gives a dollar for 506 colons.

That 19 percent fare increase is enough to send a lot of Costa Ricans to the bus. From Escazú to the downtown a taxi costs about 2,000 colons ($3.95). The bus costs 185 colons (37 cents).

Then there are the pirate taxi drivers who offer cut-rate trips and can afford to do so because they probably do not have insurance or the property licenses.

The taxi drivers, an independent lot, probably would all agree that the public services regulating agency should not raise taxi fares as planned later this year. That was a comment heard repeatedly when a reporter talked to taxi drivers Tuesday.

Jose Antonio Mora Rojas said that. He was waiting on a line for a passenger near Hospital Calderón Guardia. He said his fuel costs have doubled and that a new increase in taxi fares would only drive more customers away.

Alvaro Quiros Coto, another taxi driver, seemed well acquainted with the economic concept of supply and demand. He said the regulatory agency should lower fares and not raise them. This would generate more passengers, he noted.

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