NEWS FLASH
The operator of Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport, VINCI, is seeking a solution to highly aggressive unlicensed taxi drivers in its arrivals hall and around the airport site who prey on foreigners unaware of standard taxi rates, which has been a long-running issue. The airport provides a taxi booth from which a voucher is issued to passengers for a licensed taxi. However, this has not deterred unauthorised taxis from trying to lure passengers by asking them if they need a ride in the arrivals hall and around the airport. As EX-YU Aviation News learns, VINCI has told local authorities if the problem with unlicensed taxis is not resolved it will ban all taxis from picking up passengers at the airport and set up its own taxi service which would have exclusive rights to shuttle passengers from the airport. Under the plan, all taxis would still be allowed to bring customers from the city to the airport. The government has said it will resolve the issue, however, so far, little has been done. Despite the presence of police officers at the airport and the taxi pick up area, unlicensed taxi drivers are still offering their services at the airport. In December of last year, the Serbian Ministry for Construction, Transport and Infrastructure announced it would remove all unlicensed taxi drivers offering services in the airport’s arrivals area upon the completion of the new central processor facility, however, this has not materialised.
To be honest, this would be the best solution.
ReplyDeleteAn express rail link would be the best solution like everywhere else. I'd gladly pay 10EUR on top of my ticket to avoid taking a bus or taxi.
DeleteFor those going to city/suburb destination far from train/metro or bus station, taxi is frequently the only solution. Taxi service still exists at airports that introduced rail link. How smart do you have to be to realize illegal taxi problem can't be solved by building a rail link, even if rail to the airport can be built overnight??? I'll gladly pay 100EUR on top of your ticket if you focus on proposing unbeatable taxi solution.
DeleteSame thing exists in Podgorica.
ReplyDeleteThe question there is how unlicensed taxi drivers operate anywhere, let alone BEG area?
ReplyDeleteAnd the answer is very simple; they are regime bots and they can do whatever they want. If you do anything to apply the law and prevent them from operating their way they obstruct, menace and even use force so they prevail (I was told so by legal taxi drivers). They even buy out police officers and if there is someone honest amongst them they switch to their methods described above.
DeleteThey are just criminals. It's not like taxi problem started in 2012. They also existed during previous regimes and harassed passengers.
DeleteAnon 1301 please stop trolling. Also please state any current or past law in Serbia under which it is illegal to whisper to arriving passengers at the airport offering transportation, or for not using taximeter for trip, and what are the law defined prison fines for that. And who are the public procecutors and judges in Belgrade who will charge these people (as we all well know, both judges and the prosecutors keep refusing any public and govermental feedback and pushes to better at what they do and how, citing their independence from government and public influence and beyond).
DeleteIt actually states in the law for taxis:
Delete40) taksimetar je merilo koje neprekidno, za vreme vožnje ili zaustavljanja u toku vožnje, automatski izračunava i pokazuje cenu vožnje, u zavisnosti od pređenog puta i ukupnog trajanja vožnje;
41) taksi prevoz je javni prevoz koji se obavlja putničkim vozilom i za koji se naknada obračunava taksimetrom;
41a) taksi prevoznik je privredno društvo ili preduzetnik kome je u skladu sa odredbama ovog zakona odobreno obavljanje taksi prevoza;
42) taksi tarifa je skup jediničnih cena za start, pređeni kilometar, vreme čekanja, dolazak na adresu po pozivu i prevoz prtljaga po komadu, o čemu se putnici obaveštavaju pre ulaska u taksi vozilo, a primenjuje se u zavisnosti od doba dana ili noći, od dana u nedelji (radni dan, nedelja ili državni praznik) i područja na kome se vožnja obavlja (uža ili šira teritorija jedinice lokalne samouprave i teritorije drugih jedinica lokalne samouprave) i koja je učitana u merni instrument;
43) taksi stajalište je mesto na javnoj saobraćajnoj ili drugoj posebno uređenoj površini koje je određeno i uređeno za pristajanje taksi vozila, čekanje i prijem putnika i koje je obeleženo saobraćajnom signalizacijom shodno propisima kojima se uređuje bezbednost saobraćaja na javnim putevima;
44) taksi vozač je fizičko lice koje upravlja taksi vozilom i obavlja taksi prevoz kao preduzetnik ili kao zaposleni kod preduzetnika ili privrednog društva;
45) taksi dozvola za vozača je identifikaciona isprava koju taksi vozač nosi sa sobom prilikom obavljanja delatnosti i koju je dužan da pokaže na zahtev ovlašćenog lica i koja sadrži poslovno ime privrednog društva ili preduzetnika, redni broj, ime i prezime taksi vozača, status taksi vozača (preduzetnik ili zaposleni), jedinstveni matični broj građana - taksi vozača (JMBG), adresu i fotografiju;
The problem is that licensed taxidrivers are doing the same. 10 of April this year I met taxidrivers from Beogradski taxi, all of the were romapeople and they told me: only we are allowed to be here and if you dont want to use our service for 3500-4000 dinars you can ask our colleagues "over" there for voucher prices. The problem was also that, that at the "pult" a lady and a security guard from Securitas just looked at me and told me " no vouchers to get". This happened around 23.30-23.45.
ReplyDeleteThey have to solve this problem urgently....
The problem is also with vouchers.
DeleteIt happened to me more than once that nobody wanted to take me in when they heard I had voucher and was going to Zemun (shortest and cheapest ride).
Until they sort out problem with taxi, the best option is to call Pink taxi and wait them by the tower, they arrive in 5 minutes.
Build a frigging train!!
ReplyDeleteor make a express bus service from airport to novi beograd centar and/or zeleni venac
DeleteBus 72 straight to Zeleni venac. Unless you dont want to bee on bus some 30 min more than Taxi. So price is around 1 €. Bus 200E in Budapest came around 5-6 €.
DeleteIt would be very easy to fix the problem if there is the real will to solve the problem. even if it is 2 or 5 EUR at least you know the price of the journey.
DeleteAirports that have good bus and rail connection still have taxi service. Bus and train does not solve illegal taxi problem.
DeletePersonally, I like the solution they implemented in Bucharest already ten years ago. Taxis are waiting outside the airport. You can choose your favourite taxi company on a screen, out comes a printed label with the licence number and licence plate of the taxi assigned to you. You have all the data necessary to complain to the airport operator and to the city.
ReplyDeletethis is an elegant solution
DeleteIt also shows the tarif per km. The different taxi companies have different prices, usually indicated on the door.
DeleteI was writing exactly about Bucharest example a few months ago - VERY elegant solution, not to say that tariff per km there is 2/3 of the price of VOUCHER/regular taxis were charging me in BEG, being a local here. The regular cab drivers, were barely/not accepting vouchers - they get into argumentation that we all live in the criminal state etc. - ABOSOLUTELU SHAMEFUL!
DeleteMy mum and her friend are going to BEG for the weekend. I ordered them a private transfer - does this solve the problem for them? Mind you, she and her friend are in their 60s.
ReplyDeleteYes it does as someone will be meeting them in the arrival area with their name written down
DeleteExcellent, thank you for the reply.
Deletehow about gated area where only registered (licensed) taxi would be able to get in/out, it would read taxi plates before letting taxis in?
ReplyDeleteDivljaci sve slome i opet ista prica
Deletewell in that case it would be obvious that they are supported by the government.
DeleteAnd it isn't already? Wow.
DeleteThis can be resolved so easily. The city should introduce a fine for anyone offering taxi services, say around €200. There should be two communal policemen roaming the airport and fining anyone they see offering taxi services. And the problem will disappear.
ReplyDeleteIf that could be resolved so easily, there woldn't be me remembering same issue exactly 40 years ago, at the same airport, in then Socialist Republic of Serbia...
DeleteBelgrade Airport is on rights track. Finally to obeying rules.
ReplyDeleteTaxi service have to be regulated! and to respecting lows. passages and Airport management.
+1
DeleteReally Rodney?! And how do you suggest the Aerodrom does that?
DeletePostovani Anon 14:31.
DeleteKada uprava Aerodroma i sluzbena lica budu u podpunosti sprovodili propise zakona o servisu i opsluzivanju putnika, zavladace mir i harmonija.
Toliko napora ljudskih i finansijskih da Jedanput, Aerodrom Nikola Tesla Beograd postane primeran i referenca za jugoistocni deo Evrope. Da bi ga jedna grupa bezkorpuloznih vozaca "taksista" i drugih anomalija degradiralo. Cvrsto verujem da ce VINCI AIRPORTS CORPORATION izaci na kraj sa zakonolomcima... Ulaganjem ukupno jednu ipo milijardu evra, sigurno nece pomenute grupe ljudi i dalje primenjivati bezkorpuloznosti.
To je moja vera i sugestija. A Vasa?
Pozdrav i toplije prolece.
Aerodromu zelim da izadje zakonski na kraj. Sa svim poteskocama i anomalijama koje ljudi stvaraju svojim postupcima.
Rodney Marinkovic and Aviation Enthusiast Associate Group. 😀🇦🇺✈🇷🇸🛫😀✈
West Ryde Sydney Australia.
@Rodney Marinkovic
DeleteDobar si čovek, ali vidi se po tvojim komentarima da decenijama živiš u Australiji. :) Previše se uzdaš u zakone i pravni poredak, tamo daleko je to normalno, ali ovde....
Divlji taksisti postoje otkad postoji aerodrom u Surčinu. Nije to problem od juče. Nijedan srpski režim to nije uspeo da reši "zakonski".
Prosto rečeno, velike su pare u igri. Divlji taksista ako okrene 2 ture dnevno, dobar je min. 100 evra. Easy money. Za te pare "divljaci" neće olako odustati, ni tenkovima ih ne bi oterali sa aerodroma. :-)
Last summer I could not get a single taxi driver to take me, my wife and two kids to the city centre for the price indicated in the voucher. I’ve asked about 20 different taxi drivers. At the end, I had to negotiate the price which was 20% higher than the one in the voucher, but still significantly lower than what some taxi drivers asked for (up to 300% more).
ReplyDeleteVo Skopje toa se resi taka sto aerodromot formira svoja kompanija na parkingot saat vreme e okolu 2 evra ima rampa pree parkingot za vlez 10 min e besplatno (da ostabis i da podignes patnik) nema prostor i mesto divote taksisti da parkiraat uste pomalki da vlezat vo zgradata samo pojako obezbeduvanje i se se resava
ReplyDeleteThe example you gave is not really relevant. What does the waiting time have to do with the unlicensed taxi companies?
DeleteAlso, you cannot compare the number of daily arrivals and departures in BEG to SKP. Especially this summer, when the traffic in BEG is expected to increase quite a lot with the intro of new destinations.
The issue is not only the unlicensed drivers, whom ofter stands right infront of the taxi-pulp at arrival and the sequrity just watches them, this year I've been flying to BEG at an average of 3 times a month. Even if you go to the official taxi stand with a voucher in your hand, they drivers doesn't want to drive if you are going across the bridge. Taxi mafia continues to rule at the airport.
ReplyDeleteThat's not true. Last week I had a voucher, went to the taxi stand and they drove me for the fixed price on the voucher. And yes it was across the bridge.
DeleteThey had this at the airport several years ago. What happens is when the ramp opens for the legal taxi to come in the illegal one sticks right up behind the legal one and gets it. They also destroyed the ramps. Make no mistake these are really violent criminals.
ReplyDeleteThe only way is for Vinci to ban them, police will not do anything as it is them whomare getting bribed by the unlicensed cabs.
ReplyDeletePlease stop trolling, the police can not do anything due to lack of laws and prosecution. State police does not deal with this and reffers the issue to the Rangers (komunalna milicija) who are unarmed and have no authority by law to arrest anyone or do much. Even if charged or arrested, these individuals would never be prosecuted by the state prosecutor or sentenced by any judge for such petty offences, otherwise, the state would very soon get called ‘new north korea’. These are induvidual bad people who act opportunisticly and prey on travelers, not an organized crime gang as some here say, most of the bribe claims here are unfounded, other then on individual isolated cases.
DeleteNo, this is organized crime sponsored by state.
DeleteHow are illegal taxi drivers benefiting the state? Is this increasing the number of foreign tourists?
DeleteAnon 1914 would you please care to explain details of this scheme in your head. How exactly has the current state/government organized and sponsored these individuals and trained them how to approach travelers and victimize them at the airport? And how they collect the part of the profit, or the other way around, you sound like the state is paying them to do this? Btw, the few of these taxi drivers i ran into were actually complaining to me that the state is behind a conspiracy to destroy them financially by introducing vouchers and regulations…
DeleteThe state is surely helping them by doing nothing. Why?
Deleteanon 19.14 second Serbia troll/bot
DeleteState has “aparat fizicke prinude” and can prevent much serious things than a group of false taxi criminals - if they WANT to do so.
DeleteAs someone mentioned above, the moment BEG gets a rail or metro connection to town, the problem will be reduced significantly. BEG is the very few larger European capitals with no such service and this is really needed. Vilnius has a very good service and costs barely 0,80€ from the airport to town.
ReplyDeleteVilnius airport also has taxi. Metro or rail to the airport does not mean taxi is no longer needed. Taxi problem needs to be fixed immediately.
DeleteThis is a regular issue at many airports, but funnily enough, we have a problem with licensed taxis at Sarajevo Airport! Sarajevo Taxi has complete monopoly over taxi stands there and they often charge foreigners and locals 30-40 Euros. To remind you, Sarajevo city centre is around 10 km for the airport and if order ride from other companies you pay no more than 10-12 Euros.
ReplyDeleteDoes this Vinci know who "Aca Banjica" is and why this solution of theirs cannot go through?
ReplyDeleteOr must Aca personally go and explain to them?
It's not difficult for him, but still...
This is also the ugliest first impression of the city that foreign visitors have. Being ripped off on arrival is not fun and spoils the reputation of city and country. The Ministry of Tourism should be interested in providing a good experience for tourists from the start.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, everyone had to stop complaining that visitors think this is a country if thugs! Serbia is a great place to have such a tarnished reputations.
I wll repeat the same what I said many times before...
ReplyDeleteYou walk a bit to NIS gas station, you call the cab and get a ride according to taximeter.
Even with lately price increasing it does not cost me more than 1400 RSD from Airport to Block 45 on Sundays or 1200 RSD on regular days.
It is embarrassing that one would have to do so to get a taxi at the airport of an European capital city in 2023…
DeleteYes, it is.
DeleteBut that's way how I beat them.
You don't beat them, you encourage them to circumvent the voucher system. You are part of the problem.
DeleteI hope airport will be able to use cameras to record violators and enforce no-pickup taxi policy anywhere on the airport property.
I am part of the problem because I use normal way of paying taxis according to taximeter?
DeleteCongratulations.
You are the problem. Normal way is getting a voucher and getting into taxi right outside arrivals. Taxi pickup at all other locations within airport shoud be banned.
DeleteAir serbia should begin its own dedicated taxi and bus service. All vehicles have Air serbia advertising, all drivers trained and licensed. It can fit in with business and first class customers so they standard quality service.
ReplyDeleteAir Serbia is not the only company that flies to Belgrade.
DeleteWhat should other 50% of BEG passengers do?
Airport authority should, not Airserbia. They should contract with somebody, have a call for companies to apply for an exclusive taxi provider and another for a proper airport bus shuttle with luggage space (not a regular local bus), 24/7 service, and stops at main bus and railways stations and local bus terminal/exchanges, the Republic square.
DeleteI still can't understand people who come to a foreign country without doing the research regarding the transport to/from the airport. That's the first thing I google when I'm planning a trip somewhere and I'm not at all sympathetic toward people who overpay to taxi drivers.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, it would still be nice to find a solution.
Dajte mi 7 dana da Rešim Problem za UVEK
DeletePeople who travel to such places as North Korea, do that kind of research and preparation. For the rest of the normal world, no such fear and causion based reasearch should be needed.
Delete@ 19:18
DeleteAgree!
This is something what can not be decided by them (Vinci)!
ReplyDeleteIt must be decided by the City of Belgrade!
It is question for the City of Belgrade if they decided about it already and which company is that!?
Absolutely agree. I mean Vinci may urge and send suggestions to the Mayor. Biggest problem is that the negative comments of taxi ripp-offs are usually posted on the airport social media pages and this should not be the case. The other possible way is to collaborate with an organ that is dedicated entirely to this illegal activity and search taxi by taxi if needed as an inspection.
DeleteIn the US, all over the place they have and use spike bars that pop out of the ground and instantly destroy tires of any car that tries to pass by any unauthorized space, ramp, private residence gate, rental car lots etc. Why in Serbia these spike bars are an advanced tech that nobody has ever heard of, let alone using it at places like the airport, railroad crossings etc where people tend to abuse regulations and cause damages, beats me.
ReplyDeleteThose are common at rental car lots but never seen one at airport terminal taxi stands.
ReplyDeleteVinci already introduced double gates at parking exist to prevent tailgating.
Nothing says "Belgrade is province" more than this. I'm so sad to see my hometown won't regulate something others in normal countries did decades ago. We should be all ashamed.
ReplyDeleteNo justification for spreading collective guilt and shame. Responsibility for this is not on my 80 year old neighbour. It is known exaclty who are violators and who is responsible.
DeleteIf so many gov agencies and local institutions can’t solve this (all funded by the collective) for so long then yes, I agree with the guy above. It is a collective responsibility. This is tarnishing the entire place’s image and if someone can’t undestand this, they are a part of the problem.
DeleteSo my 80 year old neighbour, opposition voter, is partly to blame for illegal taxi drivers according to you. Are you okay?
DeleteGood move. It is really annoying to be hustled by a private taxi driver at the arrivals area or at a bus stop.
ReplyDeleteThey should definitely increase the frequency of airport buses. I can still remember when couple of years ago bus 72 departed every 15-20 min. Now it runs every 30-40 min, and very often it just skips one arrival. People just get demotivated to use cheaper alternatives because of this.
ReplyDeletePUBLIC TRANSPORTATION is very very important but again it is in responsibility of City of Belgrade.
DeleteAs I heard they are preparing new line but the question is when!?
Seljadija
ReplyDeleteGood luck with that. If taxis cannot be regulated at US airports or anywhere else in the world, how are you going to regulate in Beograd?
ReplyDeleteTo start, they should eliminate the taxi voucher kiosk which is not very noticable to many of the rushed arriving passengers anyways and form a dedicated, well marked line for exiting travelers, separeted by dividers, leading to the exit where they should have all taxis lined up. There they should have a taxi administrator standing and greeting each traveler next in that queue, offering them option between choosing to take a voucher (issuing them and advising of zones and pricing) or chosing not to take a voucher but go by the taximeter charges, then pointing/assigning the next taxi in the line to that traveler. They should also be giving each taxi-taking traveler a paper with taxi feedback contact information, maybe also writing the assigned taxi plate number on it. This would make for a great customer service as a first hospitality impression for everyone who arrives in Serbia, especially for the first time (many airports have a traffic regulating consierge attractively dressed in a uniform looking like a greeter in one of those very fancy hotels, who does this type of stuff). The rest of the exiting corridors should have lots of clearly visible signage warning arriving passengers not to take illegal taxis (not sure why that stuff does not even exist now). No other method of taking a taxi should be allowed on the airports land/property. Persons or vehicles identified to be providing transport service by any other mean, should be recorded and assigned a prohibition of entering the zone/land of the Airport Authority (by court order if needed). This is not space science and this kind of setup already exists at a number of other airports. I also support banning various taxi companies and making a dedicated one. Btw here in Vancouver, all taxis have second lincence plates on them, showing which municipality they are licenced to operate in. Only those taxi cabs that also have a third licence plate (for the airport, and they pay a separate tax to the airport for this priviledge) are allowed to operate there and pick up passengers from the airport. These plates are a bit smaller then the regular registration plates, and stand attached on the left or right from them. The airport should also define a set of standards for taxis who operate there, like here https://www.yvr.ca/en/passengers/transportation/taxis
ReplyDeleteGood points. BEG must implement drastic changes to taxi service što pre.
DeleteAlso I forgot to mention that in Vancouver, all taxis starting the trip at the airport are not allowed to use the taximeter, they can only charge flat fees based on the map of destinations, there are no vouchers and nobody informs you of this at the airport, taxi drivers do. There have been no cases of anyone trying to trick taxi takers or do any manupulations. Although all the taxi drivers here come from third world countries in which taxi fraud is standard, none of them ever do anything like that here. Reason is that they are just regular employees of a taxi company, they dont own the car. They take you to your destination and advise you of the flat charge for that area there. They are super polite and assistive, as that way they can get a better tip from users. I think they all get payed same salary/wage, but it is the tip that they like to earn, and they are very polite to passengers for this reason. If you dont give them a good tip, some are disappointed, but would still not risk saying anything openly to you to upset you, as it is not worth risking their job if somebody complains about them to the taxi association. In Serbia, they all have their own cars with a taxi sign on the roof, if even banned from one area, they would just continue operating somewhere else. The flat rate here from the airport to downtown (about half an hour drive) costs about 22 €, flat rate to first zone of the city from the airport is about 13€. In Belgrade even the voucher price is more than this. Last time I was there, all the taxi drivers at the airport taxi area refused to accept me into the car with the voucher, so I had to walk far to seek a taxi that would accept me. One finally did but he was complaining the entire trip how they are losing money by accepting vouchers. The second time I took the trip, the taximeter charge was exact same as the voucher was for. Btw a friend of mine payed a hired ride from Zrenjanin to BEG same amount that the taxis charge from BEG to downtown Belgrade.
DeleteDidn't fly to Belgrade for a long time. Before the rule was to go up to the departures and catch a normal taxi which would use the meter and get to the city for 1/3 of the price asked in the arrivals. I remember using Pink taxi.
ReplyDeleteis this still an option?
Only Banana Country can face continuous problem with a bunch of illegal taxi criminals at the airport. The state can combat much more serious problems than these small criminal group - if they WANT.
ReplyDeleteSo what are you saying?
DeleteEveryone seems to forget that for about a year before Covid hit, situation was excellent with cabs - vouchers were working nice, there was that large taxi waiting parking where taxis would registered and their numbers called in, and you would just get in the first cab (there were still few guys waiting at the doors, but not many - they had double ramps to stop tailgating, since they don't want to pay for parking while waiting). Then, airport or whomever decided to stop vouchers when the traffic restarted.. and since then, it is again not possible to get rid of the illegal taxies. Last year, I was traveling roughly twice a month, and it became unbearable especially with the late evening arrivals. I arrived at 00:30, there were only 4 illegal cabs - and they were putting multiple people in each one! What I noticed also is that regular cabs, when I hail them on the street were reluctant to take me to the airport, and two of them told me that they don't intend to take rides from the airport back to the city because it is such a mess, w/ both illegal cabs and some of their colleagues.
ReplyDeleteSimply enforcing parking rates (stoping tailgating - and for that you can easily use police), and enforcing only registered cabs on voucher (which is often more expensive than regular meter). But, introduce machines for vouchers (like on so many airpots), and done deal. After 6 months, their model is unsustainable.
I have simple solution. Just track on camera few days all this illegal taxis, or better call them criminals. Remember faces and theirs car's plates. Put in system of the ramps to not opet to these certain cars, so they can never ever have access to airport.
ReplyDeleteOnly underdeveloped, corrupt and poorly managed countries have this problem at their airports and I wish Serbia could just leave that category soon enough. Toss the illegal hawkers out of the terminal. Ask the taxi drivers who don’t want to respect the voucher system to kindly f* off from the taxi line. And for the love of god, make the official voucher booth look like one. Now it feels like you’re sneaking into the reception of a love hotel in the dark corner out of sight.
ReplyDeleteA few months ago I arrived in Ljubljana. The white taxi cab was in front of the terminal with his taxi board on the roof (he wasn't chasing me around the terminal he was at the taxi stand in front of the terminal with another identical taxi behind him). I got in, he turned on the taxi meter but I was charged 80 euros to the city and there was no traffic on the way. Obviously I realized it was a rip off. So, there you go. In Slovenia, in the middle of the developed EU.
DeletePrices for a cab ride is WAY to expensive in Belgrade even with taxi meter. I pay around 25€ from airport to city center. In Vienna the same distance cost 25-30€, much newer and nicer cars. I guess the goverment dont want tourist to come back to Belgrade.
ReplyDeleteThis problem exist every country in the world...Normaly i agree with driver for price so no supruge on end of trip
ReplyDeleteAlso i pre book taxi on www.belgradetaxi.com and i have driver waiting for me