SLF

I got ripped off by a taxi driver in Stockholm who "forgot" to start the meter running, and then presented me with a charge which turned out to be 50% more than what it should have been (and, luckily, a receipt for this amount but for a completely different journey).

Complaining to the taxi company just brought the driver back around, demanding to have his fraudulent receipt back - I was out, so he left a new receipt just showing "fixed price". I.e. he dug himself further in the mire at this point. I have both receipts now

Problem is, I can't find out who regulates taxi companies in Stockholm in order to take my complaint further. It's not the money, more the principle here.

I normally check that the meter is running, but on this occasion I was engrossed in a telephone call most of the journey.

Any ideas? Sorry if this is OT

MADflyer

Stockholm has had a problem with this sort of thing for many years. Your experience is mild compared to the stories in the early 90s before the serious taxi companies shifted to fixed prices to Stockholm Arlanda and then the double taxi-rank system in 2000,

This has always seemed odd to me in a country that is so regulated on the health and safety side but very weak until recently on the consumer protection side.

I just did a search in Swedish and could not find any information yet. I even went to the Swedish Department of Consumer Protection site and searched for "taxi" and there was nothing. Amazing considering how widespread problems have been for many years.

If someone else does not come with the info I will ask a friend who works with the Airport Authority for details.

If you knew of that you were being overcharged at arrival, I would have had the hotel assist to call the police for a report. I don't know how they handle this today though. The fact that you have the 2 receipts could prove interesting as this could raise tax fraud issues.

I will post a little info for the future and for others wishing to avoid similar problems.

The current "solution" is working well for those in the know. The thing is that the first line of taxis at Arlanda are the less expensive taxis and the fact is in Stockholm you want a Taxi with a fixed price. You would never want a metered ride into the city centre.

There is a guard (taxivärden) stationed there to make sure this system is followed. He or she is not allowed though to recommend a specific company or price into the city. I don't know the current situation but in the beginning this guard company was owned by the big 3 taxi companies. A violent taxi strike was the result in 2000 and the labour unions got concessions that have allowed this corruption to continue to some extent.

What this creates though is a situation where the popular first taxi-rank is empty and there are drivers available in the second line. These drivers often stand outside their vehicles and tend to be more aggressive to get a fare. The truth is that many of these drivers are totally OK and even have a fixed rate posted on the outside of the taxi.

I try to never get in a taxi that is not one of the majors in Stockholm. Even many of the drivers with the majors in Stockholm are independents who pay a fee to be a part of the network. Another problem though is that the real corrupt drivers choose a similar name to the majors or paint scheme to the taxi.

The major taxi companies in Stockholm are :
Taxi Stockholm, tel: +46 8-15 00 00
Taxi Kurir, tel: +46 8-30 00 00
Taxi 020, tel: +46 20-93 93 93
Stockholm Transfer, tel: +46 8-33 20 00

Stockholm has 2 other ideal ways into the city. The Arlanda express (ticket purchased before boarding in machine that takes credit cards) takes 20 minutes to the centre. Taxis are waiting (metered) just to the side of the front of the train. The "Flygbussarna" airport buses take you to the same station in 40 minutes or to the Haga terminal in 30. At either you can have a taxi waiting to take you to your destination beside the buss stop. The taxi is just 115 SEK added to your buss fare.

http://www.flygbussarna.se/en/default.asp

http://www.arlandaexpress.com/

jacob_m

I'm a bit interested to know what route you did? To or from Arlanda intl airport?
From where did you get the taxi?
Does it say on the receipt what taxi company you used?
It would be good if you could provide that information so we can better help you.

The situation was pretty problematic in the 90's to and from Arlanda (the main international airport), especially for foreigners.
I remember I read stories about people who paid SEK 1000 from Arlanda to one of the major hotels in the city centre, which is three times more than it should be.
However they made an effort to sort this out and only allowed the three main taxi companies to operate at the airport, the same thing at the taxi rank in front of the railway station. That was of course not an uncontroversial decision as many smaller serious taxi companies felt very discriminated.
Almost all companies have fixed prices to and from the airport now.

Otherwise I don't think the taxi situation is that bad in Stockholm. I generally find it safe and reliable to take a taxi and I have not heard many people having problems, so you must really had bad luck.
There is no tradition of stopping taxis in the street as in many other cities, you always order a taxi in advance.
I also always use one of the main taxi companies mentioned by MADflyer, they have so many cars that the taxi often arrives within 5 minutes and I know the ride will be hassle-free.

SLF

Thanks to both of you for your detailed replies!

I must admit that I was very surprised that this sort of thing would happen in Sweden

I will certainly be better prepared next time! One problem was that I wasn't going to the city centre, so the Arlanda Express (which I have used previously ) wasn't appropriate.

I picked the taxi up at Arlanda (I don't remember which line it was), to Kista. I was charged SEK445, the "correct" fare according to the hotel (and confirmed by my return journey) is SEK300-320.

The taxi company was called "Taxi ABC", I think my flight arrived around 14:00, and the first receipt the driver gave me was for a journey between the times 09:17-10:55, and a distance of 87.22km. Registration number of the taxi was YZG025, and the driver's name was Mahmud Rojhan (or Roshan). Hey, I even have his mobile phone number

I guess I'll just chalk this up to experience! Thanks again.

jacob_m

I have never heard of Taxi ABC.
I did a quick search on the internet and found almost nothing about the company.
I also searched the internet telephone book for Sweden and actually found Taxi ABC, but listed as a private person, not as a company in the yellow pages.
That's weird!!
The only phone number mentioned is a mobile number, maybe the same as you have, also an address and I think the street is in the Kista area.
No operator, not even a mainline telephone number.
I don't think every single smaller taxi company should be considered unserious, but this is really a bit strange!

I don't think SEK 445 is all that bad even though it is really on the edge of being too expensive.
That's the fixed price most taxi companies offer from the airport to Stockholm city.
Maybe he would argue Kista is considered as Stockholm city, I definitely don't agree though, Kista is a surburb, nothing else.

Unless you insist on taking this further I would suggest you just leave it.
I don't really know who you should contact but it wasn't a very big difference anyway so I wonder if it's really worth the efforts.

Next time you're in Stockholm, go for one of the main taxi companies and you'll be fine.
They will without any doubt have cars at the airport and if you go from anywhere else (restaurant, hotel etc), just ask somebody to order one for you.
The four major taxi companies were mentioned by MADflyer

SLF

Thanks Jacob. Now that I have this extra info, I hopefully won't have a repeat!

I guess I was hoping that someone would say to contact the "Stockholm Taxi Regulator Company" at such & such a number; but it sounds like taxis aren't really regulated there

Thanks again!

jacob_m

I'm sure there is something, it's just that we don't really know what it's called or how to reach it, at least there must be some sort of authority issuing the taxi licenses for the companies.
Otherwise contact the Stockholm tourist board, they must know these things!

You're welcome btw!

MADflyer

While on the pricey side 445 is not that bad. The fixed rates to Kista run 325 SEK and it varies by company up to 395 SEK. The fixed rates to Kista are quite high when you think that they have they only have the easy part of the journey on the motorway without having traffic in the inner city.

A normal metered ride would have come to around 600 SEK. 225 to 300 is normal for a metered ride from the city centre to Kista.

The "flygbussarna" airport buses operate the Bromma line as well from bus stop 12 at Arlanda. These buses leave the motorway first at Kista and are considerably less expensive than a taxi. The problem is the inconvenience of hourly departures instead of the city buses that leave every 10 minutes. A bus-rail-bus ticket is also available with buss to Marsta, train to Helenalund and then 3 buss stops to Kista with a journey time of about 45 minutes and departures about every 15 minutes.

Many do everything possible to avoid taxis in Stockholm and the excellent public transportation leaves many potential routings.

Orlando Vic

This is an old thread but of current interest to me.

My wife and I are traveling to Stockholm this weekend and will need a taxi from downtown Stockholm (the City Terminal near the Arlanda Express stop) to the Silja Line terminal at the harbor of Värtan (Värtahamnen). I'll cetainly look for one of the four major taxi companies mentioned by MADflyer, but I am wondering if there are any additions to the "safe" ones mentioned or either taxi companies to definitely avoid?

I do plan to insist on a "fixed price" though.

Thanks in advance for whatever information you can give me.

MADflyer

They have just implimented a 16 SEK fee on top of fare from central station city terminal. You will be able to still get the price on the phone when booking a taxi. Just pop into any hotel maybe to do this. fixed price is ´fast pris´in swedish... I guess around 180 SEK but really dont know now....

You could just take the silja line transfer bus. 35 SEK, 4 EUR. pp.

Leaves from

Gustav Adolfstorg (5 minutes prior to vasagatan)
(next to Royal Opera House)

Vasagatan 16 06:10, 13:15, 14:05, 14:55, 15:45 last for Helsinki,
(across from T-centralen)

Djurgårdsbron

http://www.tallinksilja.com/sv/desti...ault.htm#varta only find in swedish but you will see the times here....

MADflyer

Alternatively Bus 1 runs all the time with very high frequency for 26 SEK.
Gardet stop.

Subway red line to Gardet same price.

Can buy coupon for multiple stamps and even save a little.

You have to walk 500 meters from there...very well marked, but little long with heavy luggage.

Orlando Vic

Thanks MADflyer. We've done it both ways in the past. You are right about about the walk from the last subway stop. It is tough with heavy baggage. Physically, I can't do it now.

I now have difficulty walking even short distances, but we may very well reconsider the bus. I just want to get there with a minimum of prolonged standing and walking because it is hard for me to pull suitcases, even with my wife doing most of the work. Thanks for the suggestions. I'll have to give this some thought.

MADflyer

For comfort I would take a Taxi then....

An alternative is to put the deposit in a luggage cart... take it to bus stop at Vasagatan 16. Then the 5 or 10 SEK will happlily end up in hands of homeless when they return it for you.

I do not think they have the new carts that lock-up when you try to take them away from terminal though..... I have seen them in Spain recently.

The buss stop has seating, but also cafe, Sheraton Hotel or the Forex...

Fredrik74

I wouldn't be able to say which companies are safe apart from the major ones. However, I can more easily tell you which taxis to avoid and that's definitely the ones where the name of the company resembles Taxi Stockholm but isn't exactly it. Names like City Taxi Stockholm(where the City part is in smaller print) or Taxi i Stockholm or similar. Legitimate Taxi Stockholm taxis always have their phone number 150 000 displayed in a way that you can't miss it. If you first thought the taxi was from Taxi Stockholm but you don't find their phone number I would stay away.

Orlando Vic

Many thanks to Fredrik74 and MADflyer for the information you both gave me. Knowing what to look for and what to look out for, last Saturday, I easily chose a "safe" taxi just outside the Arlanda Express stop at the north end of the City Terminal. To spare myself any possible confusion with a taxi driver who might not speak English (or pretend not to speak English), I even had a small card with my destination and a request for a fare estimate all pre-written in Swedish, courtesy of Google Translate. The driver was not only honest but quite accurate in his fare estimate compared with the actual metered charge. BTW, Google Translate is a handy tool.