Letiště Praha (Prague Airport) has signed a contract with Uber, which emerged as the winner in the tender for taxi services at the Prague airport. Starting next Tuesday, Uber will operate at the airport under a five-year contract. This information is derived from the published contract in the registry of contracts. The contracting parties have not disclosed the rental price. Complications have accompanied the tender for taxi services at the Prague airport. The airport canceled the first competition, and the antimonopoly office handled the second competition.
“We are pleased that the antimonopoly office has confirmed that Letiště Praha has set the parameters of the concession procedure by the law. We have focused primarily on the requirements of passengers, who primarily want to know the price in advance,” said Jakub Puchalský, a member of the board of directors of Letiště Praha.
“The new taxi operator will provide its services under continuous airport supervision. All rides, even those outside of Prague, must comply with the municipality’s regulations on maximum fares,” he added.
Initially, Uber was supposed to provide taxi services at the airport from February of this year, but the deadline was postponed due to objections from the second competitor, Tick Tack company, to May of this year.
In May, Klára Divíšková, a spokesperson for Letiště Praha, stated that until the end of the proceedings at the Office for the Protection of Economic Competition, Tick Tack from the Taxi Praha group, which has been providing taxi services at the airport since 2016 together with Fix company, would provide taxi services.
At the beginning of September, the antimonopoly office informed that the administrative proceedings had been terminated, allowing the companies to sign the contract. Letiště Praha had already announced the first competition in 2021, but it was canceled due to objections from various parties.
Passengers will now be aware of the price in advance. One of the primary conditions of the tender was the obligation of the operator to determine the final price before each ride, calculated by their software.
The final fare must not exceed the agreed price, even in case of a change in route or waiting in traffic.
The operator must also guarantee the desired quality of services and safety, a fleet of vehicles no older than three years, and professional behavior of drivers, who should have at least basic English and fluent Czech knowledge.
They must also ensure transportation availability 24 hours a day, and payment will always be possible without cash.
The operator will also have to maintain sufficient available vehicles at the airport according to current demand and provide vehicles for disabled passengers or families with children.