On a raining airport day, people wait for their fares
Unless you have someone to pick you up, arriving at the Juan Santamaría airport can be a overpowering once you step outside the baggage terminal, moreso when you hit the sidewalk. Immediately you are surrounded by people asking if you need a taxi or private ride in van or shuttle bus.
For someone like myself, who always arrives late night, we make arrangements beforehand for a personal driver to take us to our hotel. However, many just snag the first person they see and that person hustles you to a cab. And at times, when our driver has forgot (more likely gotten detained in some bar) I have had to take a taxi. Usually the fare into downtown San Jose costs between 15-$20US. It is always a good ideal to make sure you have colons when paying.
The airport red cabs, which have always lined up the streets since I can remember, there are also ones in the orange, called Taxis Unidos. This week, the price regulating agency pulled the permits of Taxis Unidos. The agency, the Authoridad Reguladora de Servicios Públicos (ARESEP) said Unidos does not use meters (called marias) in its cabs, which are required by law.
Personally, I have used them (along with every cab driven in Costa Rica it seems) and never really thought about the meter thing, because I always asked “How much to point B?”
Years ago I got burned when I found out the fare to point B cost us twice as much as I had normally paid. My mistake. It is always a good ideal to get a price first, meter or no meter.
I have always found that Taxis Unidos provided top quality transportation in and around the Central Valley. Its drivers (who many spoke good English) were professional, many were full-time employees and receive company benefits required by law. The drivers even had uniforms and the vehicles are air conditioned and clean.
The cancellation of the Taxis Unidos airport permit was the final action. The company has been given three months to terminate its service and turn in the license plates of the 75 vehicles it operates. The reason for the three month delay in revoking the permits was to give the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes and the Consejo de Transporte Público time to take steps to replace Taxis Unidos.
Others complains have been made against Taxis Unidos, has been overcharging customers. Rates have to be approved by ARESEP and most foreigners who arrive in Costa Rica are unaware of the approval rates, so I guess you can say, they do get taken advantage of. The approved rates for the airport taxis is ¢775 colones (about $1.50US) for the first kilometre and ¢650 for the additional if in a sedan ¢775 if in a minivan. Customers, in most cases, were never given the option of the sedan or minivan, and charged the higher fare without their knowledge.
Now, even if the rates are set, there is nothing to stop any taxi from overcharging. I have seen meters that are not turned on for so many cabs including the airports red cabs. That is why you ALWAYS, get a price first before entering.
Personally, I feel sorry for the many drivers who have relied on their services to support their families. And personally, the owners of Taxi Unidos, who have failed to abide by Aresep regulations, are the real culprits. Obviously the cost to add meters was also in play. But still … who is really being hurt…
It’s a shame what happend to Taxi Unidos and their airport service. People have to understant that regulations must be abide by in order things to work ok in any field including the taxi sector. I would suggest taxi companies in Costa Rica to have a more active presence in the online area, and they will probably increase their chances of getting new customers. They can start by listing their business at this taxi professional directory: http://www.infotaxi.org/costa-rica_taxi.htm. This I think would be a great step for many taxi businesses that are in seek of new horizons and I must say we still have a lot to do when it comes to make the most of Internet advantages.