Skip to main content

Taxi application

Taxi drivers in Czech capital Prague have a poor reputation for over-charging unwary tourists. However a new phone application aims to offer a solution to this problem, by using GPS technology to calculate the proper charge. While the city authorities have been struggling for some years to eradicate the problem, unscrupulous taxi drivers have continued to take passengers by longer routes than necessary and are also known to fix meters so that they overcharge. The city's mayor was himself overcharged some ye
February 20, 2012 Read time: 1 min
Taxi drivers in Czech capital Prague have a poor reputation for over-charging unwary tourists. However a new phone application aims to offer a solution to this problem, by using GPS technology to calculate the proper charge. While the city authorities have been struggling for some years to eradicate the problem, unscrupulous taxi drivers have continued to take passengers by longer routes than necessary and are also known to fix meters so that they overcharge. The city's mayor was himself overcharged some years ago by a taxi driver while investigating the problem. In one instance a taxi driver even wired up seating so as to give passengers questioning his high prices an electric shock; a case of overcharging in a different sense.

Related Content

  • Taming traffic in urban areas
    August 15, 2019
    The success of the motor car as a form of transport is also proving its undoing. In urban areas around the world, passenger cars clog the roads and add to air pollution. Reducing urban traffic congestion is being seen as a priority in many cities. French capital Paris has had a number of car-free days, which has more recently been replicated in Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh. Looking ahead, the plan by Edinburgh’s local authority is to cut city centre traffic by 30% in 10 years. Congestion charging has bee
  • Bitumen technology suppliers seek new ways to save money and work more efficiently
    April 24, 2013
    When World Highways decided to ask some of the industry’s leading suppliers what the future holds for bitumen, we found out - not surprisingly in the current economic climate - that it’s all about saving money. Kristina Smith reports. How quickly the tide turns. Just two years ago, saving carbon and the planet was moving up many countries’ political agendas. Now politicians in Europe and beyond have been forced to park commitments in the face of economic austerity. “The big issue with local government is th
  • Distracted driving report from European nations
    December 11, 2017
    There are now calls from right across Europe to increase education, enforcement and penalties for distracted driving. Surveys across Europe have revealed worrying attitudes to the use of mobile devices while driving, according to a report by the European Transport and Safety Commission (ETSC). Campaigners are calling for better enforcement, higher penalties, technological solutions and education to raise awareness of the risks. A survey in the Czech Republic found that 36% of drivers admitted using their
  • Addressing urban congestion with smart technology
    October 5, 2016
    A new generation of smart transport solutions could help cut congestion in urban areas around the world. The growth of personal vehicle ownership in developed and developing countries alike has exacerbated the problem of traffic congestion in many cities. Congestion is the bugbear of modern road transport, a sign of success and growing economies as well as a failure to anticipate demand. Building roads helps develop business and encourages economic growth, resulting in more traffic in the future. To quote K