Dispute over use of maxi-taxis prompts vandalism and fistfights

Entrepreneur contacted authorities when Port of Helsinki banned the vehicles from West Harbour

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The Port of Helsinki has forbidden all so-called maxi-taxis from entering the capital’s West Harbour, which is why one of the entrepreneurs has filed an official complaint to the Deputy Chancellor of Justice over the actions of the port authority.
      Maxi-taxis are vans which have been registered as lorries, which is why they do not need a taxi licence. There are two maxi-taxi entrepreneurs in Helsinki, having a total of some 30 vehicles.
      The current conflict is a consequence of contradictory legislation. The Taxi Act, which entered into force in 2007, does not determine that only passenger cars are allowed to run taxi services. However, only passenger vehicles are subject to a licence.
     
The drivers of maxi-taxis and regular taxis have been arguing in the Greater Helsinki area since last spring. At worst, the disputes have ended up in fistfights.
      The taxi ordering centre does not relay customers’ orders to maxi-taxis, which is why they have to search for passengers in the neighbourhood of taxi stands and in the street.
      Accoding to maxi-taxi entrepreneur Pekka Orava, who filed the complaint to the Deputy Chancellor of Justice, the Port of Helsinki is breaking the law when it disturbs the business operations of maxi-taxis without reasonable grounds.
      ”The use of taxi stands is forbidden as if we were not running taxi services at all, and even though the law says nothing about the vehicle class of taxis”, Orava complains.
      Pekka Orava established the first maxi-taxi enterprise Easy Cab Company late last year.
     
Orava says that the first year has not been easy. The authorities have not taken a favourable attitude towards his business, while the reactions of other taxi enterpreneurs have been drastic.
      ”In recent times we have no longer received actual murder threats, but our vehicles have been damaged and we have been terrorised while driving among the traffic”, Orava reports.
      According to Orava, the number of vandalistic actions is more than 100, of which some15 to 30 offences he intends to report to the police.
     
According to the Finnish Taxi Owners Federation, the maxi-taxi entrepreneurs take advantage of a loophole in the Taxi Act.
      ”They have nothing to do with passenger transportation”, says Managing Director Lauri Säynäjoki of the Finnish Taxi Owners Federation. ”They have been designed for goods transportation”, he adds.
      According to Säynäjoki, the legislation will have to be amended rapidly in order that the use of lorries for taxi transportation will be banned.
      Säynäjoki regrets that the conflict has become so heated in the capital region, adding that he well understands the anger of taxi drivers.
     
Even Juhani Tervala, the Director-General of the Ministry of Transport and Communications, regards the loophole in the Taxi Act as ”a big problem”.
      Tervala notes further that an amendment to the Act is under way, and the working group set up by the Ministry is to complete it by the end of the current year.
      A decision by the Deputy Chancellor of Justice is hardly likely to be issued sooner than next year, even though the Port of Helsinki is to give its statement of defence to the official complaint in a couple of weeks.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Recession causes financial distress among Helsinki taxi drivers (25.9.2009)
  Recession manifests itself in reduced use of taxicabs (17.4.2009)
  Granting of further taxi licences in Helsinki halted (21.11.2008)

Links:
  Ministry of Transport and Communications

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