The Community of Madrid already has ready the draft of what will be the first regulation of transport vehicles with drivers (VTC) in the region and which has raised blisters in the sector especially due to the limitation of prices in high demand events – concerts, sports competitions -, financial compensation in case of cancellation of services, a customer service line or the possibility of shared journeys.
The Executive chaired by Isabel Díaz Ayuso published the aforementioned draft on the Transparency Portal at the beginning of the week before addressing the allegations period. And it details the objective of regularizing the sector of the 9,000 VTCs with authorization in the region, as well as reinforcing customer security.
Although “the new text seeks to favor the traveler” who needs the service “to be improved”, as justified yesterday by the president of the Community, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, the most important novelties it introduces focus on the regulation of prices for events of high demand, such as large concerts, soccer game outings, among others.
In these cases, the price of the services “may not exceed 50% of the base price, in accordance with what is determined in this regard by the department competent in transport matters, the responsibility being attributable to the natural or legal person who I would have calculated it.”
This measure is a first response to user complaints accumulated in the latest macro events held in the capital or surrounding areas that accuse VTCs of taking advantage to skyrocket prices by ending in the wee hours of the morning and there being no other public transport options. to leave the premises.
As stated in the report Effects of the Mad Cool music festival commissioned by the National Taxi Association (ANTAXI) and the Professional Taxi Federation (FPTM), the prices of VTC services to and from the festival to the aforementioned macro event of July “increased by up to five in entry and exit times.” On average, “its cost was between two and four times the minimum prices.”
“While a trip from the festival exit to Plaza Castilla in a VTC service cost 93 euros, that same trip by taxi did not amount to more than 37 euros,” the report states.
Similarly, as can be seen in the photograph above, at three in the morning from Friday to Saturday, a Pidetaxi trip requested back from Mad Cool to Atocha Street had a price of 22.80 euros, while the prices of VTC were more than double. The price (without applying discounts) for that trip was 53.80 euros in Bolt, 43.36 euros in Cabify and 48.40 euros in Uber. On Saturday at 3:00 the trip from the Mad Cool venue to the Plaza de Castilla reached a price of 93.30 euros at Bolt. The price of the same taxi ride at that time was 37.15 euros.
Although it is worth noting that, during the aforementioned music festival, the prices of VTC services also doubled
on other routes other than Mad Cool.
The regulations also contemplate, among others, penalties for cancellations of services and unjustified delays suffered by the user. Specifically, the same penalty as that provided for in the event that the user does not show up must be paid “as soon as possible.” “Likewise, the company must pay the same penalty when, after ten minutes from the communication to the user of the assigned vehicle or its substitute, the latter has not arrived to pick up the user. In this case, the user may cancel the service, or request one new without those vehicles being assigned to him,” the text states.
To reinforce customer security, the obligation to activate a citizen service line is also contemplated, which will be paid for by the company, and which, in addition to telephone service, includes complaints via the Internet.
