The rules for taxis are likely to be simplified in favor of alternative carriers. Taxi vehicles will no longer have to have a taximeter, but a mobile app will be enough. They will need obtain a registration sticker, but not necessarily roof taxi lamp. Municipalities will not be able to control the color and size of cars in the city. Changes are introduced by an amendment to road transport, which the Chamber of Deputies approved today despite protests by the Association of Czech Taxi Drivers.
The main change in the amendment, which will now be assessed by the Senate, is the abolition of the obligation to keep a record of the operation of the vehicle. So, taxi cars will no longer have to have taximeters as they used to. Instead, taxis could use the mobile apps as already used by Uber or Bolt drivers.
Instead of the obligatory roof lamp with the word TAXI, all taxis will now have to be labeled with a registration sticker, which will be issued by the local transport authority for approximately 500 CZK. However, this would only apply to taxi drivers whose services customers will order electronically. The roof lamp will continue be mandatory for taxi cars that people hail on the street.
The power of municipalities will be limited as drivers won’t need to pass taximeter and geographical tests. Also, city authorities will no longer be able to impose mandatory car features, such as body color or minimum vehicle dimensions. In addition, the authorities will be responsible for the registration and authorization of taxis and the issue of licenses for drivers.
The amendment also brings new responsibility to taxi operators, including intermediaries, to ensure that services are only provided to authorized drivers. This will mainly affect alternative carriers, who will guarantee that the service is provided by the driver with all necessary documents.
According to taxi drivers, new rules for the operation of taxis will lead to congestion of cities with commercial cars and reduce the safety of passengers. On the other hand, representatives of alternative carriers and their drivers welcome the amendment.
