50 Years Of Poor Taxi Service In Gibraltar

One of nan complaints astir heard from residents and visitors to Gibraltar connected Social Media concerns nan readiness (or alternatively non-availability) of taxis.

This is not a caller problem and tin beryllium traced backmost to 1975 erstwhile a section family attempted to present power controls wrong their fleet of 10 taxis which resulted successful strikes, fastener ins and fights betwixt national representatives and members of nan family.

Since that time, group person been complaining that members of nan Gibraltar Taxi Association (which efficaciously has a monopoly connected Rock taxis) look much willing successful taking visitors connected costly Rock tours alternatively than offering a reliable service.

50 years of mediocre taxi work successful Gibraltar continues to beryllium a problem

As precocious arsenic April 2024, nan Gibraltar Chamber Of Commerce issued a connection saying: “Gibraltar’s City Taxi Service Is An Embarrassment”

Adding “It has been 11 years since Neil Costa arsenic Minister for Transport introduced nan Customer’s Charter for nan Gibraltar Taxi service.

“It has had ZERO effect.”

With agelong queues for taxis a regular show some successful municipality and astatine nan airport, nan Gibraltar Taxi Association (GTA) is alert that location person been galore calls to induce companies specified arsenic Bolt and Uber to run connected nan Rock aliases so let Spanish taxis to participate (and nan second whitethorn hap erstwhile nan Treaty is signed, perchance successful early 2026).

In response, the GTA has group up a meet and shake hands astatine nan airport but location is small grounds of this achieving a awesome deal.

50 years of mediocre taxi work successful Gibraltar needs to beryllium resolved

Most recently, tests person been undertaken of caller hybrid taxis which are designed successful nan style of nan iconic London achromatic cab, harvester electrical powerfulness pinch a mini combustion motor that provides further top-up powerfulness erstwhile required.

If nan taxis beryllium suitable for Gibraltar’s unsocial conditions, they will beryllium disposable for acquisition by nan Association and by individual taxi drivers but arsenic tin beryllium seen from nan accompanying photograph, they won’t return nan number of passengers which nan larger, overmuch favoured section minibuses tin carry.

If nan task moves forward, nan Government is considering providing loans connected favourable conditions to support taxi drivers successful nan acquisition of these vehicles successful nan aforesaid measurement that it loaned £300,000 (€345,000) of taxpayer’s money to nan GTA for meters successful 2013.

It is suggested that nan taxi problem successful Gibraltar will proceed to beryllium a problem until specified clip arsenic nan Government enforces difficult and accelerated rules including the 2017 Taxi Charter to guarantee that a bully value work is offered astatine a reasonable price.