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

  • Milan wins prestigious ITF transport award for its urban road pricing scheme
    May 20, 2014
    The Italian city of Milan has won the 2014 Transport Achievement Award (TAA) for its ‘Area C’ urban road pricing scheme. The TAA is awarded annually by the International Transport Forum (ITF) at the OECD, an intergovernmental organisation for the transport sector with 54 member countries. The award will be presented tomorrow in the presence of ministers from around the world during the opening plenary of their global transport summit organised by the ITF. Milan, said by the ITF to be one of the most c
  • Buying bitumen: do you know enough?
    December 2, 2014
    Changes to the way bitumen is produced and traded mean that traditional ways of specifying – and buying - it may not be enough - Frank Albrecht, MD of Albr3cht Supply Concepts, explained why to Kristina Smith Traditionally, we have specified bitumen using two values: the penetration (pen) and ring and ball figures which define the hardness of the bitumen and its softening point respectively. Taking that approach today is risky, warns Frank Albrecht, managing director of Albr3cht Supply Concepts. “It’s not
  • Rebuilding a historic bridge linking the US and Canada
    March 8, 2016
    While many road authorities in North America are finding it difficult to stretch their bridge assets beyond half a century, one bridge is closing in on its centenary - David Arminas reports The international Peace Bridge, connecting the Canadian province of Ontario with the US state of New York, is 88 years young this year, and still going strong.
  • Motorway madness
    September 24, 2019
    A cyclist was recently spotted on the UK’s busy M25 motorway pedalling along the hard shoulder in the wrong direction. Police were alerted by a CCTV operator who saw the rider as he rode past a camera. Officers quickly responded and escorted the cyclist to a place of safety after providing a few words on safety. Cycling is banned on the UK’s motorways.