Price Gouging Taxi's in Mayo - be careful.

6541

50 Euro from Westport to Castlebar last Friday night. That is a total distance of 18 K, on Google 16 minute drive. This equals Euro 3.20 a minute or 187 Euro an hour.

peter4918

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058327264/price-gouging-taxis-in-mayo-be-careful

How many in taxi, did you pre-book?

Atlantic Dawn

What did the meter read, did you get a receipt?

6541

2 in the Taxi and he didn't put meter on.

irishgeo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121532882#Comment_121532882

The TII fare calculator with 2 people and a general westport to Castlebar entry and a premium rate gives you a estimated fare of 40 to 49.40 so it's not wildly out to say 50 euro.

You can enter in the precise details of your journey details yourself.

You could have asked for the meter to be turned on.

KevRossi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058327264/price-gouging-taxis-in-mayo-be-careful

Yes, and in the exact spot where he dropped you off there was somebody who wanted to go straight back to Westport.

Or, in reality they drove back empty to Westport to look for fares on one of the busiest weekends of the year, as opposed to other nights when they sit around doing nothing.

And you have to take into consideration fuel, insurance, upkeep on the car etc. etc.

6541

50 Euro Westport to Castlebar cannot be justified.

baldbear

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121565799#Comment_121565799

Everything is pricey now . It's a pain.

Did you ask about the meter not been on? You could have asked in the taxi how much the price would be.

Premium prices would have been charged for that date according to the taxi fare website.

No point cribbing now.

Quitelife

Might be a bit on the high end but with Insurance in particular & all the other costs its hard get a taxi in rural Ireland these days as many have given up due to it been unviable

6541

50 yo yo to Castlebar is mental.

artanevilla

Do you think you were overcharged in that someone taking the exact same journey would be charged a lower amount? Have you made this journey a number of times before to compare?

Or do you think in your own opinion that 50 euro is too expensive for a taxi journey of this length?

If the former is the case, how much is this journey supposed to cost?

If the latter is the case, how much to you believe it should cost?

6541

Yes - I was overcharged.

A journey by a Castlebar based operator should be about 30 Euro's.

The taxi is based out of Castlebar. The guy is clearly gouging.

Kimbot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121566483#Comment_121566483

According to the fare calculator you were charged in and around the correct price. It doesnt matter where they are based from, if you think you can do a better job for cheaper then by all means go and setup your own company and charge people 30 quid for that trip and see how long you stay in business.

6541

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121566521#Comment_121566521

Have you some affiliation to Taxi's in Mayo ?

Kimbot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121566550#Comment_121566550

No I dont.

6541

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121566559#Comment_121566559

You must like overpaying so.

AyeGer

I remember about 20 years ago taxis in Letterkenny used to charge double fare on St Stephen’s Day. I got badly stung as I had no idea that was a thing.

Would your €50 charge be something similar op?

This is it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121566719#Comment_121566719

You must like over paying if you didn't ask the fare beforehand, or ask for the meter to be turned on. Hopefully you've learned your lesson 🙃

6541

i don't think so. Everybody is giving out about Taxi's now. So many rouge operators, no standards and just made up fares.

This is it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121566747#Comment_121566747

Yep, asking the fare beforehand, or for the meter to be turned on will sort that out 👍

crusd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121566719#Comment_121566719

https://www.transportforireland.ie/fares/taxi-fares/

You can check were you overcharged if you like

JVince

Did similar last May on a Saturday morning and cost from Westport to castlebar Golf club was €42 for 2 of us and clubs.

Thought it was about right.

We gave him €50 as his service was excellent and gave us a couple of tips on tricky holes.

Taxis are expensive, but the costs are high too.

6541

Website results are in ... I was gouged. Be careful of Mayo Taxi Drivers.

6541

And the 50 Yo Yo was with his meter off ...

Atlantic Dawn

Just to confirm it was an actual taxi with a plate on the roof?

LambshankRedemption

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121566796#Comment_121566796

Estimated fare 36-45. You got charged 50. You call that gouging?

Padre_Pio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121566796#Comment_121566796

Taxis are just expensive, that's the way it's been for the past 10 years nearly.

The prices went up in line with fuel costs, but sure now most of them have EVs so they're making much more per trip.

We nominate someone to be the designated driver and pay for their zero drinks for the night. It's cheaper than a taxi and they get a free night out and no hangover

notthereyet

At least you got a taxi, out the road in claremorris there is no such lugsurery as a taxi,you should diffitnetly have pencilled in 50 quid for a taxi on to your night out over Christmas from westport to castlebar, it's a lot of Money plus a few drinks and maybe something to eat it's costly to go out in ireland nowadays ,takeaway and a few cans is the alternative I am afraid for a lot of us.

callaway92

Lads will ye come off it. €50 is an absolute joke; and there's even that new road now too behind Abbvie too which is a good road. Whether it's gouging or not by the taxi is debatable; but if it is industry standard, then Uber (proper Uber and not the watered down one) needs to wipe the industry here up.

We were at a gig recently in Castlebar (stayed in Westport), and the drive was a breeze in there on a peak night. It's as straight forward as a drive gets. €50 is a robbery.

For what it's worth, the TFI website says Abbvie to Castlebar Train Station is estimated €37-€45.80. I'm not sure what the exact destinations the OP was, but hypothetically, if the OP was 10% over the top end of the predicted amounts, then of course it's a rip off.

EDIT:

Hotel Westport to TF Royal Hotel in Castlebar for 3 over 18s at peak time is estimated €35 to €43.40

OP def in an extremely high charged bracket.

Big Gerry

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121566800#Comment_121566800

Without the meter on the Taximan can just made up whatever price he wants.

Kimbot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121566796#Comment_121566796

Well then I guess you can put a complaint in with the taxi regulator if you still think you were overcharged and see if they agree.