UCR Lab Study Says Taxi Overcharging
According to the Laboratorio de Metrología, Normalización y Calidad de la Universidad de Costa Rica (Labcal), "marias" or taximeters in taxis are not calibrated properly and usually charge customers an additional ¢5 to ¢10 colones per kilometre.

Labcal recommendeded that the vehicular inspection company, Riteve SyC, correct its calibration machines at its 16 stations across the country, that was to have been done during the period of April 21 and May 5 of this year, in accordance with the calibration program for 2006.

Vilma Ibarra, communications manager at Riteve, said that the corrections where carried out in accordance with the government decree issued by the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes.

"Up to April 21 the charge for the additional kilometre of travel began when the taximeter clicked to the next kilometre irrispective of the distance traveled. The adjustment at Riteve corrected that fault and taxi drivers need to make the proper adjustments", said Ibarra.

To clarify the statement, the taximeter would charge for a complete additional kilometre even if the taxi did not travel the entire distance. The changes to the metering calibration will now allow customers to pay for only the 300 metres traveled and not the entire additional kilometre.

Of course, the news angered the Unión Nacional de Talleres Importadores de Taxímetros (Unatit), which maintains that the Labcal study is incorrect, for they sell taximeters that charge the exact amount as specified by law, that is for the exact distance travelled.

Arturo Agüero, representative of Unatit, said that there was no need for the Riteve re-calibration and that the change will now end up costing taxi drivers ¢15 colones per kilometre.

Currently, taxi fares are set as ¢350 colones for the first kilometre and ¢320 colones for each additional kilometre traveled. In the case of rural areas, the rates are ¢350 and ¢350 respectively. Taximeters also charge for time when the taxi is stuck in traffic.