Airport taxi driver faces penalty and restriction after rejecting passenger pickup, resulting in a designated area ban.
In a bid to uphold proper service and legal compliance for passengers, Henri Coandă International Airport in Bucharest has been enforcing strict taxi regulations. Recently, there have been notable violations and penalties related to taxi drivers' behaviour at the airport.
A prominent incident involved a taxi driver refusing to take former Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Cioloș as a passenger. The refusal, documented on surveillance cameras during a police control operation around 11:00 PM, violated the provisions of Law No. 38/2003, which governs taxi services in Romania.
The authorities imposed a fine of 500 lei on the taxi driver and confiscated their professional certificate, effectively revoking their license to operate as a taxi driver at the airport. This incident underscores the airport's commitment to safeguard passenger rights and service quality.
This control operation also highlighted existing restrictions on taxi access to the passenger boarding area at Henri Coandă Airport, implemented following 29 recorded violations related to taxi rules around the terminal. Passengers are advised to be aware of these strict regulations and the airport's active monitoring of taxi operations to avoid recurrent abuses.
While not directly related to violations, tourists and families are advised to pre-book taxis, especially if they require larger vehicles or child car seats, as most spontaneous taxis at Bucharest airport may not carry child restraints or suitable group vehicles spontaneously. Services like Taxi Bambino offer pre-booked, certified taxis with necessary amenities, ensuring compliance with safety norms and regulations.
For lesser violations such as abandoning vehicles or approaching travelers unsolicited, taxi drivers have faced suspensions ranging from 30 to 180 days. In more serious cases, such as demanding unjustified fares, refusing passengers, or tampering with fare meters, drivers have been suspended from operating at the airport for 12 months.
Routine and unannounced checks by the Air Transport Police are applied alongside penalties for violations at the airport. In a recent incident last month, a taxi driver at the Henri Coanda Airport was detained for scamming Wole Soyinka, a 90-year-old Nigerian Nobel Prize laureate.
The incident involving Mr. Soyinka is one of the more serious misconduct instances recorded over the past six months. Two taxi drivers have been permanently barred from the airport since the start of the year. The National Company of Bucharest Airports (CNAB) has issued statements regarding these violations, reiterating their commitment to maintaining a safe and efficient transportation service for all passengers.
- The incident involving the taxi driver refusing to take former Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Cioloș as a passenger can be categorized as a serious violation of the taxi service provisions in Romania, as stated by Law No. 38/2003, which falls under both the general-news and crime-and-justice categories.
- Given the recent penalties imposed on taxi drivers for violating airport regulations and the active monitoring of taxi operations, it is essential for passengers to be aware of politics regarding taxi services at Henri Coandă International Airport to avoid potential issues and ensure a smooth journey, thus aligning with the category of politics.
