SEREMI denies lack of information concerning taxi fare cut

SANTIAGO. -  Faced with complaints from taxi drivers claiming they were not informed about the $50 peso reduction in the starting fare, which became effective yesterday, the SEREMI of Transportation for the Metropolitan Region, Pablo Rodrígues, has denied that there was lack of information passed on about the measure, indicating that the contracts with the drivers clearly establish that the fare is to be modified every six months.

According to Rodríguez, “we haven’t had any problems with the five previous ones (fare modifications).  A change was made during the month of July and there wasn’t any complication, in that case it was a fare raise, which means that they are aware of it”.

With regards to complaints that have arisen concerning long waits at the companies that modify the taxi fare meters, Rodríguez added that there are eight workshops that perform the modifications and that only one has reported problems.

Authorities will begin checking today whether taxis have modified their fares and anyone that has not fulfilled the rate-change requirement could be given a fine of 2 UTM (equivalent to about $ 70 thousand pesos), which will not be pardoned in any case according to Rodríguez.