Finnish Taxi

Different costs

The new Transport Services Act, which came into force on Sunday, drastically expands the opportunities for taxi operators and their clients, wider than ever before. According to the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the law will directly serve taxi riders in the era of fast digitalization. "It is the goal of the current research program to promote new types of services and better serve the needs of users," the Ministry states.

"Other objectives are to revise the whole system of transportation, to facilitate entry into the markets and to encourage inter-operability of the different parts of theystem. From now on, the cost of a taxi trip will be determined by the respective business or supplier, since the law on public transportation services opens up prices to competitors.

This means that from now on taxi rides can become less expensive - or not at all. The comparison of the price of different taxi service is now solely up to the client. Carriers can boost their rates during peak periods, such as weekends, so the comparison of businesses by smartphone while awaiting a trip is likely to grow.

With this new range of fares, taxi operators must notify their clients of their policies orally or with a visual label or other tangible or electronic message before traveling. In taxi cars no switches are necessary anymore. Several taxi owners such as Hannu Aho, head of the most important Satakunta taxi company, are still not sure how the new competitors will be manifested in the latest sojourns.

" Even if you can still call yourself a taxi in the near term, most businesses will continue to promote and develop digitally based applications as their primary platforms. Uber's peer-to-peer ride sharing firm will return in effect, with a portable application being the only way to get in touch with a rider.

Currently there are about a dozen different taxi uses on the open road, with much more available in the metropolitan area than in smaller communities. Various uses differ in their service and price. Until now, taxi riders were limited to a geographical strip area delimited by the taxi station's position.

Greater remote parts of the nation can sense the impact of this new liberty as riders can choose to make higher gains in more crowded places. Suppliers suggest clients in smaller towns to pre-order their taxi rides. Helsinki-Vantaa Airport will also undergo a significant transformation as its individual taxi lanes will be expanded to four, right next to the major exit points.

Of the four tracks, three are reserved for certain taxi operators selected through a call for tenders, and the forth is a free match for the remainder. An airport can be a real goldmine for a taxi business, with 300-400 journeys per hours at peaks. Draft of the Ministry of Transport for the new law contains the "transition from educational demands to learning demands"; this means in effect that anyone with a valid driver's licence and without a serious police register passing a drivers test can become a taxi drivers.

Persons who work as over-drivers or operate a vehicle with their own cars must obtain a taxi licence. The new type of authorisation was not available in anticipation but new riders will be able to complete the licence request from 1 July. The acquisition of such a licence will, however, be much simpler than before, as the number of taxi fees exhibited is no longer limited.

UK Department Head Kimmo Pylväs of the Finnish Traffic Safety Agency (Trafi) says that requests can be handled efficiently in a matter of days. TRAFFI has hired more staff to cope with the early onslaught of jobseekers. This also means that any roadworthy car with at least three castors can now be used as a taxi.

However, it is advisable because it is immediately recognizable and grants the right to use taxi stops and taxi tracks.