Viennese Taxi Drivers Criticize App Fixed Prices

The legally required route planner does not always take current construction sites and traffic jams into account, so according to 40100, the fixed price does not always reflect the real road conditions. This is increasingly criticized by the industry, which wants to use real-time data.

The basis for these fixed prices is the route planner of the Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure (BMIMI). Another disadvantage for drivers, according to ORF citing drivers, is that about half of the fare for app rides is deducted for fees and charges. If the ride is delayed, for example due to a traffic jam, the price does not change - unlike rides with taximeters, where every minute is counted.

From the passengers' perspective, the system does not always work smoothly either. Although the fixed price for app bookings is often a third cheaper than for classic rides, it can lead to longer wait times.

Real-time data to calculate fixed prices more realistically

Taxi drivers are not obliged to accept orders via the app. According to Taxi 40100, around 30 percent of drivers currently do not use the app. "When a customer orders via the app, it sometimes takes longer for them to be assigned a car. It can also happen that the license plate of the taxi changes during the approach - then the order has been transferred to another driver," said Taxi-40100 spokesperson Eveline Hruza in the report.

Therefore, the industry expresses the desire for more flexibility in pricing. Real-time data should be allowed to be used in route calculations on navigation systems. These are systems that automatically include current traffic events such as accidents and traffic jams. This way, fixed prices could be calculated more realistically, reports ORF Vienna.

(APA/Red)

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