The Government of the Canary Islands, through the General Directorate of Transport and Mobility, is continuing to work on a draft to create a single taxi fare across all the Islands. It is anticipated that the document resulting from the meeting with taxi representatives will be finalised by 2026. From this point, the necessary procedures will begin for its final approval.
The roadmap set by the regional government, aimed at improving and modernising the sector, is also directed towards amending existing legislation, updating it to European regulations, “which would allow a service to be provided as demanded by users,” emphasises María Fernández, General Director of Transport and Mobility.
Since last March, this General Directorate has communicated the various actions that would be carried out to achieve the scheduled objectives, “always with the consensus of the representatives comprising the Transport Table,” she clarifies.
In a meeting with the Taxi Table in Tenerife, the establishment of a single fare for the entire archipelago has been one of the points discussed on the agenda. “This is a possibility and it does not take away from the municipalities their competence,” Fernández underlines.
The director clarifies that “the municipalities that wish to continue using the Rate 1 method will retain it,” arguing that there are local councils with their own specifics in this matter. “However, there is a majority of municipalities that, due to a lack of material and human resources, often find it difficult to update fares,” leading to “certain imbalances across the archipelago.”
With the implementation of the aforementioned fare, the Department of Transport and Mobility aims to facilitate its adoption in those municipalities that desire it, “which will also lead to homogenisation, ease of understanding for users, and facilitate the implementation of technological tools that can predict a journey and its cost on any island, regardless of our location.”
In addition to the single fare, the working group is delving into the legislative modifications needed by public transport workers. “With the amendment of the 2007 law and other regulations, these workers will be able to provide a better service,” she emphasises.
Another pilot project intended for implementation concerns the establishment of a flat rate for airports at specific points across the Islands. To this end, discussions will be held with the taxi sector, the Cabildos, and FECAM. When discussing the single fare, as the director clarified, it refers to the unification of the price per kilometre travelled, flag fall (whether during the day or night), waiting time, and supplementary charges.
