AMMAN - Around 4,000 taxis in the capital are currently operating without having their meters adjusted in accordance with the new tariffs set by the government a month ago.
For the taxi drivers and owners who have made the technical modification in the capital, they have to do a readjustment after the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) came up last week with its own scale of tariffs that is different from the one announced by the government in February.
"Since the government decided to lift fuel subsidies early February, new tariffs were set for taxis and public transportation services. But until last week some 6,600 taxis in Amman had adjusted their meters," Jordan Institution for Standards and Metrology (JISM) Director Yassin Khayyat told The Jordan Times on Monday.
According to the Public Transport Regulatory Commission (PTRC), there are some 16,000 taxis in the Kingdom, of which some 10,600 operate in the capital.
Khayyat said the turnout of taxi drivers and owners to adjust their meters is "very low", an indication of lack of commitment to regulations.
In comparison, the turnout of taxi drivers in other governorates to get the meters adjusted to the new tariffs is much higher, according to Khayyat.
He added that JISM has contacted the Public Security Department (PSD) to help follow up on the issue and curb the violations, noting that some taxi drivers are charging passengers more than what they should pay.
PSD Spokesperson Major Mohammad Khatib told The Jordan Times that Traffic Department patrols are currently stopping taxis randomly to check on the meters.
In case of violation, the drivers are fined, Khatib said.
A taxi driver in Amman, who identified himself as Nizam, cited the long waiting time he needed to adjust the meter in the capital. He said he needed a full day to get the job done, which meant financial loss.
"At the end of the day, a taxi driver [who does not own the vehicle] has to pay the rent of the taxi and for gas and lubricating oil. We cannot afford long delays," he said.
Khayyat said the workshops where the adjustment is made are now almost empty.
New 'surprising' tariffs
Nizam said the moment he sighed of relief that he was in the safe side, the new tariffs announced by GAM came as a surprise to him. He is back to square one now, he said, although the new tariffs are good news to him.
The municipality set new tariffs for taxis, buses and service taxis operating in the capital effective as of last Sunday.
Transport affairs in Amman have recently been put under the jurisdiction of the GAM, instead of PTRC.
The tariffs announced in February were set by the Ministry of Transport following a government decision to float the prices of fuel derivatives.
The average hike in tariffs was 23 per cent, with new taxi charges set at 100 fils per 54 metres instead of 60 metres.
However, GAM decided to increase the tariffs for taxis to become 100 fils per every 50 metres. More changes were made to other means of public transportation.
"The raise in tariffs of public transportation services followed a study that took into consideration operational costs, not only the size of the fuel price hike," GAM Spokesperson Taha Abu Reden said.
By Mohammad Ghazal
© Jordan Times 2008
