The Vice-Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Consumption has published in the Official Gazette of the Canary Islands (BOC) the update of the urban rates of taxis requested by the Arrecife City Council. The sector's rates in the capital of Lanzarote, until now were among the lowest in Spain, according to the consistory.
With this publication, the new urban taxi rates will be applied from this Tuesday, May 27. The mayor of Arrecife, Yonathan de León, assures that these updated rates to the current costs "will make possible the hiring of more drivers and a greater presence of taxis during the 24 hours".
Among them, the flag-down rate increases by 19.6% to 3.05 euros between 06:00 and 22:00 hours, while the night rate increases by 14.06% between 22:00 and 06:00 hours, to 3.65 euros. For the festivities of December 24 and 31 and January 5 between 06:00 and 22:00 hours, they remain at 3.2 euros and remain the same, with 3.2 euros.
In this sense, the kilometer traveled during the day increases by 14.29% to 80 cents, as well as 18.47% to 92 cents during the night.
The waiting hour will be 10.34% more expensive, being 16 euros between 06:00 and 22:00 hours, as well as 15.63% for night waits on holidays and Christmas up to 18.5 euros.
Thus, entries and exits from the Mármoles dock will cost 1.2 euros and the service through Radio Taxi 0.5.
The mayor of Arrecife, Yonathan de León, had already informed at the beginning of May that the Canary Islands Prices Commission supported the increase in taxi service rates.
During this first term of office, Yonathan de León and the Councilor for Mobility and Transport, Mario González Altube, had multiple meetings with all the taxi drivers to "arbitrate ways to allow a substantial improvement of the public transport service of the taxi in the capital of Lanzarote".
The guild had been demanding for years the increase in prices that would allow covering the high cost increases that this sector has registered, like many others in Spain, both due to increases in labor costs, increased prices of spare parts, repairs, insurance, and even high inflation.
As reported by the consistory in a statement, the owners of taxi licenses "had serious difficulties in hiring employees to cover the three shifts during the 24 hours, and make it possible for users to have a greater presence of auto taxi vehicles in service during the 24 hours of the day, seven days a week".
More taxi drivers to cover the demands of the shifts
On the other hand, the Mobility and Transport Area of the City Council is finalizing the holding of tests to obtain a taxi driver's permit, with the aim that more professionals join to attend to the dynamics of the city.
Mayor Yonathan de León foresees that during this 2025 the taxi service will meet the demands of users by incorporating more drivers to cover the three daily shifts and taxi drivers will be present in the neighborhoods of Arrecife attending the stops. A public transport service that will also be reinforced with more bus units in the city through the plans that the Transport and Mobility Area, directed by Mario González Altube, has underway.