Flat rate charged

Anger over rip-off: 30 euros for a short cab ride

(Bild: Martin A. Jöchl)

Anger over a brazen rip-off after an evening at a musical: a cab driver demanded an outrageous flat rate for a 2.8 kilometer journey. Such practices are becoming more and more common.

A wonderful musical evening at Schönbrunn Palace ended unpleasantly for a woman from Graz. When she got into a cab with her friend shortly before midnight and wanted to drive to Gaudenzdorfer Gürtel (a distance of 2.8 kilometers, mind you), the driver said he had to charge a flat rate of 30 euros. Edith Davok argued with the driver, but he remained firm. So the two of them got off again and took the subway. "I paid 12 euros for the outward journey, why should I pay a flat rate now," asks the 59-year-old.

Flat rates must be agreed in writing
In fact, cab drivers are not allowed to charge a flat rate unless there is a written agreement, according to the Vienna Chamber of Commerce. Complaints are frequent and chauffeur tricks are well known. Drivers from the main station are particularly brazen.

FPÖ cab spokesman Thomas Kreutzinger criticizes: "Such drivers damage our reputation and must be sanctioned." The city wants to get the problem under control with information sheets and QR codes that can be used to provide feedback.