Increased taxi inspections during Ilosaarirock festival reveal minor compliance issues, no serious violations found
The police reported no serious issues with taxi operations in Joensuu last weekend. Due to the Ilosaarirock festival, there were more taxis on the roads than usual, with some even coming from other parts of Finland.
Over the weekend, 25 taxis were inspected by the police, 14 of which belonged to local or national taxi chains, while 11 operated independently. According to the police, the taxis were generally in good order, with no risks to road safety identified.
“All of the drivers had a valid driving license and no drunk drivers were encountered during the inspections. The vehicles were all in good condition and roadworthy,” said Commissioner Seppo Porokka of the Eastern Finland Police Department.
However, one vehicle had not been registered for commercial transport, and two taxis had issues with their fare displays. The taxis with the most inadequate fare information were from the capital region. Taxis are required to display their fare list on the right side of the car, but the police can only document the matter and cannot rectify related deficiencies.
The inspections were part of the police’s professional traffic monitoring, which is performed during large public events.
Despite rumors on social media of taxis charging significantly higher fares in Joensuu over the weekend, no complaints had been received by the police by Monday afternoon.
Porokka reminded that it is the responsibility of the customer to inquire about taxi fares or to negotiate the fare in advance. “You essentially have to pay what the driver asks for. Passengers also have responsibilities in this situation,” he said.