www.CostaRicaTicas.com

From Inside Costa Rica this morning.

" Aresep Investigates Airport Taxis
The Autoridad Reguladora de los Servicios Públicos (Aresep) has begun an investigation into the "marias" (taxi meters) of airport taxis, the orange taxis parked outside the airport, who provide the exclusive service by Taxi Unidos.

The airport taxis operate different from the regular taxis identified by their red vehicles, however, come under the of the Aresep, and the regulating authority.

One of the points of interest to the regulating authority are reports that the airport taxis are not using taximeters for the fares and are charging fares in dollars when in fact they are obligated to use a taxi meter and charge fares in colones, as stipulated in the latest tariff review of last November.

The investigation stems from a complaint lodged by a user who went to the Aresep when the airport taxi he hired did not use his traximeter.

Other complaints by customers is that sharp increase in the fares, which is some cases is more than 50%.

In one reported case, Pablo Sauma complained to the Aresep of the cost of his ride from the San José airport terminal to San Pedro Montes de Oca had gone from us$15 (¢7.811) to us$22 (¢11.456).

The complaint was not only for the rise in the cost of the service but also that the fare was charged in dollars and not in colones, as it should be.

The Aresep defends the rise in the fares, saying it approved the increased considering the costs of operations provided by Taxi Unidos.

However, the Aresep said it has begun a series of "operativos" - spot checks - to ensure that the airport taxis use the meters instead of a flat rate charge and will continue the operativos until the problem is solved.

The airport taxis come under "base de operación especial" (special operations" and contrary to the regular taxi service, were licenses are issued to individuals, the airport taxis are operated by a corporation.

According to Mario Bogantes, general manager for Taxi Unidos, all the airport taxi units have taxi meters.

Bogantes explained that is the customer prepays fare before leaving the airport - Taxi Unidos has a stand at the west exit of the San José airport - a fare refund is given to a customer if the taxi meter marks a lower fare than that already paid.

Bogantes added that the fare by taxi meter usually is higher than the prepaid fare because of traffic congestion and defended the fare increase, saying that all their vehicles, minus 3, are all 2006 and 2007 models.

For her part, the vice-minister of Transportes, Viviana Martín, said that they are carrying out a legal study the operating conditions at the airport, since the law calls for all taxis to be individually owned.

The vice-minister added that a group of 25 taxis are requesting a similar airport taxi operation at the Daniel Oduber international airport in Liberia."

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

Sounds good. Lower fares possibly?

I didn't know that they were supposed to run the meter on the trip from the Airport and give you the difference.

I tend to agree with the guy who says that the fares would be more. It's a 20 minute ride in, I think it would be about 10,000¢, and not too much less, possibly more.

If you ask them to turn the meter on, and it's more do you have to pay the difference?

i do not think any of us was aware of that and also not aware that they are suppose to charge you colones. The colones part could be troublesome as many people arrive without them and wait until they get into town. If you are forced to pay in colones and the bank is closed you wil get ripped off at the foreign exchange booth. That will wipe out any taxi savings.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

I think some investigation into the airport taxis is long overdue. Not only from the standpoint of the ever-increasing-fares, but dishonesty by the employees. Last year when the fare was still $12 from the airport to the hotel, I arrived in the morning and paid the $12 fare. My friend arrived 5 hours later at the same hotel, and they charged him $18.....obviously, someone took a "pocket shot." We called and complained......you can imagine what good that did.

Zebra

Thanks very much Irish Drifter. This is information we can all use.

The taxistas at the airport count on us to be less vigilant, whether from flight fatigue or blue balls. Horniness can blind a man, you know.

Good information. I just found a 10K colones note and two rojos from last year, so I'm set to pay in colones.

_________________
Pura Vulva! Wandering through the dark, I am El Ciego.

I do not think you are going to see any fare reductions. The last fare increase was approved my Aresep which controls prices for many thing in Costa Rica.




The government owned oil refining company (RECOUPE) is going to Aresep with price increase requests almost weekly. The last price increase was approved one day and RECOUPE asked Aresep for another increase the next day.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

I have found the best situation for me, as I am usually flying in with or meeting a fellow brother SJO

Just call up my regular driver a few days in advance , tell him 2 of us, sometimes going to same place, sometimes different.

Each time over the last 4-5 trips, gave him $ 20 US for both of us. Maybe a little high, but better than some drivers/taxista trying to charge double for 2 passengers as well as the securitry of knowing when I walk out of baggage he is always waiting for me.