(QCOSTARICA) How much does a taxi ride cost from say the San Jose airport to La Sabana? Under normal circumstances, around ¢12,000 colones; in Friday afternoon rush hour add another ¢3,000 for the 16 kilometre trip.
But, a visiting couple go the screwing within their first hour of their arrival, paying an unscrupulous “orange” (airport) taxi driver ¢70,000 colones, yep, you read it right, for a trip that should have cost ¢15,000 at most.
Susanna Peña, with a Telenoticias television crew, took to the task taking an ‘airport’ taxi to the same location of the visiting couple; the taxi meter clocking ¢14,120 colones for the 40 minute ride last Friday afternoon, during rush hour. Click here for the Telenoticias video.
There is now way a properly working taxi meter could arrive at such a charge on the credit card client receipt issued by the airport taxi driver.
A rate of ¢70,000 colones is from the airport to Playa Jaco or Puntarenas, for example.
A sad first impression.
According to Carolina Mora, spokesperson for the Aresep, the government agency responsible for taxi licenses, if the driver is identified he could face sanctions that range from a fine to losing the concession.
