Where have the Sofia taxis gone?

Taxi drivers warn there will be fewer yellow cabs and it will be more and more difficult to find a taxi in the capital city of Sofia..

According to industry representatives, the number of taxi drivers in Sofia has fallen by almost 50% over the past year and currently there are about 3,000 drivers from 6,000 a year ago.

Only a few months ago, the initial fare when taking a taxi was increased. This happened after a series of protests by the industry, the argument being the non-profitability of their business. Then the daily fare for taking a taxi went up from BGN 1.54 to BGN 2.27, and the night fare from BGN 1.76 to BGN 2.58, compared to about BNG 0.77. This was the first increase in taxi fares for the recent 9 years.

What mostly affects their work then and now has been the coronavirus crisis. They claim that there are no economic measures for them. Now the new restrictions on the work of restaurants and nightclubs have a detrimental effect on the industry, because they have lost 70% of their work.

Many drivers give up their jobs, and this leads to serious difficulties in ordering a taxi – a trend we are already observing. Currently, customers should book a taxi at least 30 minutes ahead. Adding the huge traffic jams in the morning, the journey to work may take over 1 hour.

In addition, the rise in fuel prices is a major factor. The price of methane, which is used by most taxi drivers in Sofia, already exceeds BGN 2 in most places. As self-employed persons, drivers bear the costs of fuel, local taxes, car repairs and leasing. These costs amount to about BGN 2,000, ie a taxi driver starts earning for himself only after paying this amount.

The role of taxi companies is only to provide addresses and cars. Thus, without sufficient income, they cannot cover their expenses.

What are their demands?

Higher day and night tariffs, as well as the state to bear most of the patent tax for 2022. The Municipal Transport Commission in Sofia has already decided to reduce the patent tax for taxi carriers in Sofia for 2022. Instead of BGN 850, it will amount to BGN 300.

The maximum and minimum fares at which the taxi companies provide services are determined by the municipal councils, according to the Road Transport Act. The requests for the maximum and minimum tariffs from the various branch organizations are different. They range from 25 to 45%, and tariffs are updated once a year by law.

Of course, there is another point of view, namely that of customers - how much they are willing to pay for these services, given the low fares that the customs so far we used to.

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