Taxi service Uber has announced that it will be raising its prices in Zagreb for the second time in a year. Uber first announced price rises at the start of the 2018 summer season, readying themselves for the arrival of tourists. It seems the company are anticipating another influx of tourists for the Christmas season in Zagreb, as further price rises have just been announced.
The price of driving for one minute will now be increased to 1.20 kuna. With the service's starting price remaining at six kuna and the price per kilometre remaining at 3.6 kuna/km, passengers who look set to miss out most with the new price rises are those who take taxis in rush hour and who are frequently stuck in traffic jams.
It's not all bad news for passengers though. Uber has standardised their prices to and from Zagreb's Franjo Tudman airport. The journey by Uber will now cost 70 kuna if travelling from the southern side of the Sava River and 95 kuna from the northern side.
The arrival of Uber has produced mixed results in Croatia. Customers initially welcomed the increase in competition to regular taxi companies, which often meant a cheaper deal for a ride. However, taxi drivers in some coastal towns reacted angrily to Uber's arrival and battle regarding the legality of Uber's service in Croatia ensued. That issue now seems to have been resolved, to the benefit of customers throughout Croatia. However, locals in Croatian cities have been left frustrated by being hit with two price hikes in one year, as well as the frequently appearing spontaneous price hikes that occur with Uber during busy periods.
However, taxi users may benefit from the arrival of Taxify, whose service in Zagreb begins on 27 November. The Estonian company was launched in 2013 and has 15 million users in 25 countries. They have been advertising for drivers in Zagreb and hope to appeal to some already working for Uber. Taxify do not object to drivers working simultaneously for other companies, such as Uber. But Taxify charge fees to drivers of between 10 and 15%, considerably less than Uber's 25%. Taxify hopes that such savings will be passed on to customers, providing some real competition for Uber.
