The new urban taxi fares in Arrecife have already come into effect, after the update of the prices approved by the City Council in March, at the request of the sector, was published last Friday in the Official Gazette of the Canary Islands.
According to the City Council, the modification of the rates affects the flag-down rate, whose daytime rate, which covers from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., is set at 2.55 euros, which translates into an increase of 6.4%. The night rate, between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., is 3.20 euros, 5% more than the price stipulated in the previous rate.
The rate for holidays, between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., increases by 3.3% and stands at 3.15 euros, while on December 24 and 31 and January 5, the price is 3.20 euros, 3.5%.
As for the price per kilometer traveled, it goes to 0.70 euros between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., an increase of 12%, and to 0.75 euros between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., which translates into 19% more than in the previous rate.
As for the waiting time, between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., the rate increases by 3.6% to 14.50 euros, and 14.5% at night, rising to 16 euros per hour of night waiting on holidays, December 24 and 31 and January 5.
The City Council clarifies that the flag-down rates include the first kilometer of travel or its equivalent in waiting time, as established by the order of the Ministry, which also indicates that on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, from 10 p.m. to 9 a.m., a single rate of 5.50 euros will be applied when the journey is less than this price.
On the other hand, the prices of supplements for requesting the service through radio-taxi, as well as for entrances and exits to the Muelle de Los Mármoles, do not change, remaining at 0.50 euros and 1.20 euros, respectively. In all cases, the taximeter will jump every five cents of euros, and it is mandatory for taxis to display the rates in a clearly visible place.
Unchanged since 2016
"Since 2016, the City Council had not proceeded to update the prices for the use of the taxi service, with Arrecife having one of the lowest rates in the Canary Islands," says the mayor of Arrecife, Astrid Pérez, who recalls that this update "is carried out at the request of the professionals in the sector, one of the groups most affected by the pandemic and now also by the exorbitant prices reached by fuels and electricity."
"The order of the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce of the Government of the Canary Islands establishes a period of 30 calendar days for the adaptation of taximeters to the new rates, and they are applicable for journeys with start and end in urban areas, applying in the remaining cases the interurban rates," says the Councilor for Transport and Mobility of Arrecife, Ángela Hernández.
