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Pirate taxis are also popular on the Costa Blanca in summer. They hijack holidaymakers at the airport. The journey is usually cheaper – but it is dangerous.
Alicante – They transport holidaymakers from Alicante airport to their hotel or holiday apartment, take them to the train station or to excursion destinations. In summer, the so-called pirate taxis are in season again on the Costa Blanca. They use private vehicles to transport passengers from A to B without a license – usually at a cheaper rate than the official taxis, which is why tourists like to use them. writes costanews.com.
Taxis in Alicante: Illegal taxi services at the airport
Payment is made without a receipt, everything is in black. This means that the Francis Drakes of the transport sector are not only competing with the taxi sector in the province of Alicante, but also Spain about tax revenue, but also pose a danger to passengers. Because with illegal driving services, it is by no means guaranteed that that the vehicles have been safety tested and maintained according to regulations. They are also usually not professional drivers.
In summer, the police carry out patrols in many holiday resorts on the Costa Blanca is carrying out more frequent checks to identify illegal taxis. These are usually carried out at night, as the increased traffic volume during the summer makes it difficult to carry out checks during the day. In El Campello, the local police identified six drivers at the beginning of July who were obviously driving tourists but did not have a passenger transport license. They were caught as their customers were getting in or out of the taxi.
Pirate taxis in Alicante: Fines of up to 4,000 euros
The passengers admitted to the police that they had called the driver’s services using telephone numbers they had found on social networks or websites. Often, however, the drivers also intercept the holidaymakers directly in front of Alicante airport, which keeps setting new passenger recordsThe local police of El Campello have initiated sanction proceedings against the six drivers, who now face fines of up to 4,000 euros.
Pirate taxis are on the move in all holiday areas in Spain. At the end of June, Ibiza Airport set up an information point in its arrivals hall to inform arriving holidaymakers and prevent them from getting into one of the illegal taxis outside the airport. “It is another measure to dissuade people from using illegal transport, because it is dangerous and has negative consequences for the island,” said Toni Roig, chairman of the Balearic island’s taxi association.
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