Taxi centers operating in the Greater Male' Area have banded together to formally ask Transport Ministry to approve lowering the taxi fares as hte price of oil has increased in the last few weeks.
This comes after representatives from 14 taxi centers met to discuss the issue last Saturday and decided to increase the taxi fare following the hike in oil prices.
In a further development, owners of 16 taxi centers have signed and submitted a letter to the transport ministry outlining several proposals to change the current taxi system in the capital city.
These include;
- Approval of the set up of meters in taxis
- Request for a meeting with the Ministry to resolve the issues faced by taxi drivers
- That the Ministry should set the meeting within 5 days after receiving the letter or for the taxi drivers to go to the Ministry without an appointment
The Taxi Centers have said that they want to meet the Transport Minister to share the grievances of taxi drivers and to restore the lost trust between the Ministry and the drivers.
In the meeting held last Saturday, the taxi centers also approved several taxi fares for the Greater Male' Area and agreed to seek a public view of the new rates. They also came to a consensus to submit the new fares to the Transport Ministry but agreed to implement the new fares with or without the Ministry's approval.
New Taxi fares;
- For taxi rides within Male': MVR 30
- For taxi rides within Hulhumale' Phase I and Phase II: MVR 25
- For taxi rides between Hulhumale' Phase I and Phase II: MVR 40
- For taxi rides from Male'or Hulhumale' to Airport: MVR 80
- For taxi rides from Male' to Hulhumale Phase I: MVR 100
- For taxi rides from Male' to Hulhumale' Phase II: MVR 120
- For taxi rides from Male' or Hulhumale' Phase I to Airport Seaplane terminal: MVR 100
- For taxi rides from Hulhumale' Phase II to Seaplane terminal: MVR 120
Additionally, the taxi centers agreed to charge an extra MVR 5 for taxi rides between 12:00 pm and 06:00 am and to charge MVR 250 for private hire rides.
