Changes of taxi regulations in new Public Transport Act Katrin Tambur Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications of the Rep. Estonia

The old Public Transport Act was in force since October The main objectives for the new Act were:  to improve taxi service quality;  to regulate better the rights and obligations of passengers and drivers of the public transport;  to solve the problems encountered in the implementation of the current law.

Terms Public transport means the carriage of passengers for a charge by way of regular services, occasional services or taxi services as well as the carriage of a vehicle and its trailer for a charge on ship, pleasure craft and ferry routes. Every kind of carriage of passengers for a charge is public transport, for example rent a car with driver. Taxi services means the carriage of passengers by road to the designation requested by a customer or the picking up of the passenger using a public transport vehicle adjusted for taxi services as well as waiting with such a vehicle for the passenger at a taxi stop or at the place agreed with the passenger. As taxi service can be taken service provided without taxi licence, vehicle card and service provider card if the vehicle is adapted for taxi services and has taxi features (an illuminated sign, taximeter, price list and printer) or imitation of them. In that case it is a prohibited taxi service. A service provider card proves the right to work as a driver providing taxi services.

Functions of local authority body As new regulation Taxi licences and vehicle cards are only electronic, no documents on paper Data of the taxi licences and vehicle cards will be entered to the Register of Economic Activities and the holder of this register is the Ministry. The data are public for every interested person. As new regulation Taxi service provider card. Former is was free decision of the local authority body. Taxi service provider card is mandatory. Data of the taxi service provider card will be entered to the traffic register and the holder of this register is the Estonian Road Administration. The data are public for every interested person. As old regulation Local authority body may establish requirements for service quality regarding vehicles used for (incl comfortableness of passengers, environmental friendliness) Tallinn and Tartu City councils have established such regulations.

Chapter 8 Requirements for taxi services licence vehicle card service provider card Data of licences and vehicle cards will published at the Register of Economic Activities and it is opened for all users. No transport manager is needed anymore. If the vehicle has even one taxi feature there should be a taxi licence, vehicle card and taxi service provider card.

Requirements for applicant and holder of service provider card The applicant for and holder of a service provider card must: 1) have a valid right to drive at least a category B power-driven vehicle; 2) have completed a taxi driver training course; 3) have at least level B1 proficiency in Estonian; 4) comply with the requirement of good repute. A person who holds a provisional driving licence or a licence with the limited right to drive does not have the right to obtain a service provider card.

The repute of an applicant and a holder of a service provider card is considered good if 1) they have not been convicted of  a criminal offence of the first degree  a criminal offence specified in §§ 422–424 of the Penal Code  a misdemeanour specified in § 201, subsection 221 (2), subsection 222 (2), §§ 223– 226, subsections 227 (3) to (4), subsection 230 (2), §§ 234–237 or subsection 242 (2) of the Traffic Act 2) they have not more than once been convicted of  a wilful criminal offence of the second degree  for a criminal offence provided for in § 423 of the Penal Code  for a misdemeanour provided for in § or § of the Taxation Act  § 6 2 or § 6 3 of the Fiscal Marking of Liquid Fuel Act  § 75 of the General Part of the Economic Activities Code Act  §§ 45–47 1 of the Consumer Protection Act  § 36 or § 37 of the Language Act  §§ 88, subsection 89 (1) or subsection 90 (1) of Public Tranport Act

Establishment of price of taxi services (1) The prices of taxi services are established by the carrier. Only one price may be established for each service. (2) The prices of taxi services provided on road must be programmed by the carrier into the taximeter installed in the vehicle and the prices must be indicated in the taximeter adaptation certificate and in the price list. It is prohibited to highlight any service price if it may mislead the passenger. (3) The following may be established by a regulation of the rural municipality council or city council: 1) the form of the price list of taxi services, thereby distinguishing between the journey commencement fee, the fare per kilometre or the time-based fee; 2) the maximum permitted level of the journey commencement fee, fare per kilometre and time-based fee, thereby taking into account that the carrier must be able to bear the direct costs relating to the provided service, the capital costs and a proportion of its overheads as well as make at least a reasonable operating profit; 3) the list of services for which a price may be established, thereby it is permitted to distinguish between daytime and night time services.

UBER, Taxify etc. According to the Public Transport Act the services provided as car or ride sharing via sky platforms (UBER, Taxify etc.) are illegal activities. For the first part of 2016 are planed consultations for amendment of Public Transport Act. There are going negotiations between Estonian Tax and Customs Board and UBER for getting information about persons working as car or ride share persons. Today has police pending 2 cases with private persons who provided transport service without any document according to the Public Transport Act. No decision jet.

Public Transport Act is translated into English The Register of Economic Activities in English

Thank you for your attention ! Katrin Tambur