This new scheme will introduce fixed fares for journeys from Humberto Delgado Airport, while restricting access to the arrivals area to authorised and identified taxis.

As reported by Correio da Manhã, Lisbon City Council, the National Association of Road Transport Operators in Light Vehicles, the Portuguese Taxi Federation, Turismo de Lisboa and ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal are responsible for the agreement behind the changes, which is due to be signed on Friday, 11 September.

Voucher structure

The system uses the same fare structure as the taxi vouchers provided by Turismo de Lisboa.

During the daytime, between 7am and 10pm, passengers travelling to Zone 1 within Lisbon will pay €16 in a vehicle carrying up to four passengers and their luggage, while journeys to Zone 2 will cost €19.

The fares for trips at night, between 10pm and 7am, will rise to €20 for Zone 1 and €23 for Zone 2.

Meanwhile, journeys outside Lisbon will start at €36.95, depending on the destination.

According to Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas, the prices were calculated based on the average amount airport passengers currently pay.

“There have been problems with insecurity and scams at the airport for more than 30 years”, he lamented, adding that a recent inspection of 100 vehicles in August resulted in infractions being found in 67 of them.

Arrivals area

Under the new rules, taxis operating directly from the arrivals area must be authorised, accept the new conditions, display identification and offer electronic payment.

Furthermore, passengers will also be told the fixed prices for their journey in advance.

Carlos Silva, president of the Portuguese Taxi Federation, said the system should make it easier for visitors arriving in Lisbon to understand how much their journey will cost and reduce the possibility of arbitrary charges.

Moreover, passengers who do not wish to use the authorised taxis will still have other options, including buses, the Metro, TVDE services and taxis picking up travellers away from the arrivals area.

When measured against other European capitals, Lisbon’s fare remains comparatively low, with prices at €33 in Madrid, €32 from Paris-Orly, €55 in Rome, €40 in Athens, €36 in Vienna, €45 in Stockholm and €38 in Helsinki.