The city met with representatives from taxi companies Forus Takso and Tallink Takso to discuss updating Tallinn's taxi regulations, which have been in effect since 2015.

"Tallinn's taxi regulations have become outdated. National regulations have evolved and become more flexible, but Tallinn's regulations haven't kept pace. We need to make some adjustments in light of the legal changes, such as those affecting taxi fare pricing," said Tallinn Deputy Mayor Kaarel Oja (SDE).

The discussions with the taxi companies also covered the issue of infrastructure fees at the airport.

Tallinn Airport charges taxi companies an infrastructure fee for operating there, while the city's taxi regulations impose a cap on the starting fare.

"Currently, taxi drivers must include the infrastructure fee within the starting fare, which is often difficult to manage. I believe it's fair for taxi companies to be allowed to pass this airport-imposed fee on to customers, especially since ride-hailing services like Bolt already do so," Oja explained.

"This adjustment could theoretically make rides to or from the airport slightly more expensive – ranging from several cents to about one euro," Oja added.

Regulation to allow special pricing

Unlike Tallinn's current taxi regulations, national regulations now allow taxi service providers to use different pricing models: either cumulative pricing or comparative pricing. These models determine whether the fare meter calculates the starting fare and the per-kilometer rate together or separately.

This change will also be incorporated into Tallinn's taxi regulations, though Kaarel Oja believes it will not lead to significant changes.

"Since Tallinn's current regulations are outdated, the actual situation has already shifted because the law, which takes precedence over the city's regulations, already permits different pricing models," Oja explained.

Oja emphasized that this update will not increase the cost of rides for traditional taxi users.

"Taxi companies have assured us that this change won't make the service more expensive for passengers. The market in this sector is highly competitive, and companies are already using various pricing methods today. In the context of the coming years, this change is unlikely to raise taxi service prices," Oja said.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!