The Mozambican Association for the Study and Defense of Consumers suggests the mandatory use of the Taximeter to avoid disputes between taxi operators in the City of Maputo.
For some time now, traditional taxi drivers have been complaining about unfair competition from taxi operators who use apps to contact passengers, allegedly because they are speculating on the price, thus harming their activity.
The Taxi Drivers Association says that the prices charged per mile by app-based taxis make the activity unsustainable.
“App taxis created excesses. They are practically charging 50% below the amount we charge”, said Albino Mabalane, board member of the Taxi Drivers Association.
“They are charging 90 meticais for two kilometers”, lamented Anibal Fernandes, also a taxi driver. For the Taxi Drivers Association, the ideal price to be applied by all operators is 100 meticais per kilometer.
In this dispute, which has lasted for years, the passenger is often the most harmed, because there is no legal instrument that determines the price to be applied for each kilometer traveled.
“I intended to travel from Avenida Angola to Mavalane International Airport, I was going to accompany some people. Because we were with people with white skin, they charged us an unfair amount (speculation). But, because we were urgent to reach our destination, we paid”, said a taxi service user.
“A kilometer is a thousand meters. It is not easy to calculate, with the naked eye, the thousand meters. I think it would be better if there were a meter in vehicles”, suggested the other.
The taximeter is a device that measures the amount charged for the service, based on a combination of distance covered and travel time.
The instrument can be attached to the vehicle, but with increasing technological developments it now exists in digital form, through applications that automatically perform the calculations.
“When the center receives a request from a passenger, it forwards it to me, via cell phone. After picking up the passenger, when I start the journey, I put my cell phone on to calculate the kilometers. Once arrived at the destination, the application displays the mileage traveled and the corresponding value, according to what the company has already defined”, explained a taxi driver of the app-based model.
The confusion in this transport sector arises from the fact that there is no standard regarding the amount to be charged for each kilometer travelled. Thus, app-based taxis define their value and traditional taxis also use their criteria to do the same. The consumer ends up opting for the application, which has generally lower prices.
According to the Mozambican Association for the Study and Defense of Consumers (ProConsumers), the dispute between taxi drivers would be resolved if both had the taximeter system.
“Such vital sectors suggest and gain a foothold in the market, without concrete instruments for their implementation, then the governments go after the losses. The conflict between taxi drivers is long-standing because, until now, there is no regulation. The Government must design a policy for this sector, regulate and impose discipline”, appealed Alexandre Bacião, Executive Director of the Mozambican Association for the Study and Defense of Consumers (ProConsumers).
Taxi drivers who have been in the sector for a long time do not have the device, so they determine the cost of the trip based on their experience. With a taximeter, the value to be applied would be more precise and uniform.
The Mobility, Transport and Traffic department, in the Municipality of Maputo, says that there is already a plan to standardize prices.
“What they (taxi drivers) want is to establish a single fare. We welcome the proposal and it is being analyzed. It will later be submitted to the Municipal Assembly for consideration.”, he said.
Several “traditional” taxi drivers’ vehicles do not have a speedometer, according to the newspaper “O País”. For ProConsumers, this may indicate that the problem is complex. Therefore, the association advises the Municipal Council to consult the parties, to obtain better results.
