Big taxi test reveals huge price differences

TV 2 helps you test nine of the most popular taxi operators in Oslo. We wanted to check how the market is doing after the introduction of taxi reforms in 2020.

The route chosen was supposed to be easy on paper, but it turned out to be quite a challenge for some drivers.

More on that later.

taxi repair

The reform from 2020, among other things, means that there is no longer a cap on the number of licenses that can be granted in a single county, the elimination of needs testing and the removal of the requirement to call a taxi center.

One of the goals is to increase competition in the taxi industry.

These companies have been tested

• Bolt
• city ​​taxi
• Christiania Taxi
• norgestaxi
• Oslo Taxi
• Scandinavian taxi
• taxi 2
• Uber
• yangu

All suppliers were tested during the day and evening, the route was the same on all trips.

See all results below.

Traditional taxi fares divide the day into slots, with the evening fare usually starting at 5 p.m.

And this is where the first difference between the suppliers emerges.

This is how the test was done:

• Two companies were assigned to each testing panel of five, with the exception of one tester who tested one company.
• All firms were tested twice, on a weekday.
• Taxis were ordered via the app if available, or by phone.
• Bolt, Uber, and Yango offer several different types of excursions. With Bolt we chose “Bolt”, with Uber “Uber X”, and with Yango “Komfort”.
• From the TV 2 headquarters at Bernt Ankers Gate 3 in central Oslo, the tour must continue to Slemdalsveien 1 in Majorstuen.
• This track is more than three kilometers long.

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Bolt, Uber and . companies Yango argued Operating at dynamic rates. This means that prices are always based on demand in close proximity to demand.

Dynamic fares mean that nothing stands in the way of cheaper evening trips than day trips.

The rest of the companies have price charts available on their websites, and in theory they should be consulted regardless of the situation.

This was the cheapest

It soon became apparent that prices vary widely between companies over the relatively short route.

The three cheapest rides during the day were Norgestaxi and Yango, both of which cost NOK 152, and Uber, which charged NOK 157.80.

The three most expensive trips cost much more.

The flight with the Scandinavian taxi reached NOK 258, Bytaxi NOK 273, while the flight with Taxi 2 cost NOK 370.

Thus, we paid 143 percent more to travel with Taxi 2 from Norgestasy and Yango.

The big extra in Taxi 2 was due to the price increase which the driver couldn’t fully explain.

After the payment was completed, the reporter was asked to pay a new amount of NOK 87, in addition to the NOK 283 that the taxi meter showed.

Reluctantly, an additional NOK 87 was paid.

The receipt also did not disclose the reason for paying the additional amount.

Cheaper than today

On the evening flight, larger differences emerged, and the three dynamic fare taxi flights were clearly the best.

The Bolt costs NOK 155, the Uber NOK 152.42, and the Yango only costs NOK 149.

So the best price on the evening flight was cheaper than the cheapest during the day.

At the other end, things got worse for those who came in at their worst during the day.

The cost of a city taxi, which was the second most expensive car during the day, was 359 NOK in the evening.

Jarle Kanaris, owner of Bytaxi, says this to TV 2 helps:

Our rates were raised in June and are based on a comprehensive assessment of what is necessary to ensure the proper operation of taxis for license holders.

Among other things, it indicates increased operating costs.

The Scandinavian taxi cost 438 NOK, and at the bottom came Taxi 2, which the driver amazingly demanded 475 NOK.

How expensive can these trips be?

Both Scandinavian Taxi and Taxi 2 were informed of the desired destination in Majorstukrysset when ordering by phone, as well as to the driver immediately after pickup.

But that doesn’t seem to help.

The Scandinavian taxi driver drives to Vinderen, halfway to Slemdal, before asking:

– where are you going?

Salimdelsafian 1.

– But she’s not here, is she?

– No, okay.

The trip will be twice as long, and it will be unreasonably expensive. The taximeter runs continuously until the trip stops.

TV 2 helps your dispatcher enjoy a conversation-poor taxi ride, but a “sorry for the misunderstanding” from the driver may be appropriate.

It is not uncommon for a customer to pay if the driver does not use the fastest route, says Osman Ghadir, chairman of the Scandinavian Taxi Board.

– It should not happen, in such cases the customer can contact us and get a refund.

– If the driver is driving his car incorrectly, he must realize that he cannot charge for it. Ghadeer explains that we have received many new taxi drivers who do not have much experience.

On the way to another county

The evening flight with Taxi2 was ordered by phone, and it was determined to be a flight in Oslo.

Ten minutes later, the driver makes the call.

– Where are you in Lillestrøm?

– I’m in Oslo!

The address of the collection point is then sent via SMS.

The driver finally arrives at the correct pick-up address, 25 minutes after the booked ride. When you start driving, it takes an unexpected turn in the direction out of downtown.

For the record, the reporter made it clear early on that she didn’t know the way.

Complaints about fuel consumption

As the car approaches Fornebu in Berom, a reporter intervenes:

Sorry, are you on the right track?

– Yes, Slimstad?

– Bad city? I’m going to Slemdalsveien in Majorstuen.

The driver stops the taxi meter, whines and complains as he turns sharply. On the way back, he complained that he was driving incorrectly and that he used too much gasoline.

On the return trip, the taxi meter turns on and off several times, and the price ends up getting close to NOK 500. The journey, which usually takes just over ten minutes, takes a full three-quarters of an hour.

Sorry

Taxi 2’s general manager, Henrik Holstad, reacts to what he hears.

– no no no. This was unfortunate. I should start by apologizing profusely.

Particularly reacts to the driver’s handling of the situation on the evening flight.

– It shouldn’t be like that, you don’t even have to ask about it.

Holstad believes the taxi meter should have been stopped and that the price should have been lowered.

Comments on the additional NOK 87 from the daily flight as follows:

– When passengers are charged twice for one flight, it is a mistake.

Holstad acknowledges that additional payment requests without explanation will not occur.

– I think it seems that the client was not very lucky with his flights. We expect better from those who drive Taxi 2, it’s pretty crazy.

Advance price requirements

Øystein Trevland, chairman of the Norwegian Taxi Association, stresses the need for companies to offer an up-front price.

– You are entitled to a price estimate if you know where you are going, and if you are not presented, it is important to ask for it yourself.

He also says that there is a difference between the taximeter systems used.

– Those with good taxi meter systems just enter the address, the price is also shown in the taxi meter. Then it does not matter where you are going, you just have to pay what is written.

We received price estimates from Bolt, Uber, Yango, Bytaxi, Norgestaxi, Christiania Taxi and Oslo Taxi.

We did not get an estimate of the price for the evening trip by Scandinavian taxi, and Taxi2 did not give us an advance price either during the day or in the evening.

Holstad in Taxi 2 answers:

– I think it’s strange that you didn’t get a fixed price before these trips. They must be trained to give this in advance.

Ghadeer in the Scandinavian taxi is self-evident.

– This is something all of our drivers receive training on, so something went wrong on the driver’s part.

Price test result: