transportation

New taxi fares detour logic

CARLOS LEMOS/LA PRENSA

new fares confusing1075941

Chester Schossow had been waiting for close to an hour trying to flag a taxi to take him from Parque Lefevre to Río Abajo, a distance of a couple blocks.

“None of the taxis are stopping,” complained Schossow, losing his temper. Even more frustrating was that, due to an increase in taxi fares, his ride was going to cost more.

New fares took effect last week after staying the same for more than two decades. While the change wasn’t expected to go over well, the only protest heard on the street was the same one that Schossow had, namely poor service.

The change has also caused confusion among taxi drivers, as the new zoning schematic, distributed by the Autoridad de Tránsito y Transporte Terrestre (ATTT) represents a challenge for them to interpret.

One such driver, Samuel Howell, said he’s not the only one continuing to charge the old rates because he finds the new ones confusing.

“They should have put out a single fixed fare [increase], and not by zone. The new rate is a mess, and I prefer to stick with the old. So I win, and my riders win,” he said.