Illegal taxi drivers organized several provocations after the official taxi was launched at Tashkent International Airport. The head of Uzbekistan Airports, Rano Jurayeva, noted that illegal taxis are a threat to the safety of passengers. He admitted that the issue of “kirakash” (“illegal taxi driver”) cannot be solved in one day and alone.
After the launch of its own taxi service at the Tashkent International Airport on Monday, illegal taxi drivers organized a number of provocations, the press service of Uzbekistan Airports reported.
On September 12, one of the taxi drivers beat the security guard for not letting him into the airport. On September 14, taxi drivers blocked the entrance to the terminal of the official taxi service cars, demanding that the airport authorities arrange free parking for them or allow them to enter the front area to continue their activities.
“The airport staff was adamant about this issue, they sent out representatives of the law enforcement agencies and wrote a petition to take measures against the taxi drivers and to ensure public order in the airport territory,” the report said.
“The problem with taxi drivers at airports existed and still exists in many countries of the world. They are overpriced, rude drivers with old cars that run on gas, their operation is strictly prohibited at the airport. Such drivers hold the hands of passengers, deceive them and behave indecently,” Rano Jurayeva, chairman of the Uzbekistan Airports JSC, said.
“We cannot allow such vehicles to drive up to the stairs of the arrivals terminal. This is not only a negative image of the country, but also a threat to the safety of passengers. The only solution to the problem is to switch to the official taxi service – this is a world practice,” she said.
The head of the company specifically stated that it is necessary to understand that the official taxi at the airport will not have the same price as the taxi in the city, because it runs on gasoline, has a high service and only serves the airport passengers. “However, at the same time, we do not limit the choice of passengers. After 100 meters, you can catch any other taxi,” she said.
As for illegal taxi drivers, of course, this issue will not be solved in one day. Some mass media reported with the headline that there are no more “kirakash” at the Tashkent airport. Unfortunately, they will exist for some time. But we intend to fight with them not only in Tashkent, but also in the regions. The important thing is that law enforcement agencies should be supportive now. The airport itself cannot solve this problem,” the head of the management company added.
Before that, on September 12, the taxi service, which was declared the winner through the auction, started working in the territory of Tashkent airport. Taxi Airport Tashkent new gasoline cars with luggage are parked at the exit of the departure hall.
Procedure for using the taxi service: passengers come to the counter in the arrivals hall and state their address. The manager calculates the mileage according to the tariff and tells the amount to pay. If the price is right for the passenger, he makes the payment (by cash or bank card), leaves the terminal with a receipt showing the address and the amount paid, and gets into the first available taxi. Passengers can use taxi services directly by getting into the first available car, bypassing the counter.
Access to the terminal is possible only for the Taxi Airport Tashkent service. All other taxis, including those operating through aggregators (Yandex, MyTaxi, etc.), will be able to pick up passengers in front of parking lots. In order for the passenger to quickly find his driver, a large sign visible from a distance will be installed, indicating that this is the assembly point of the taxi and the passenger.
