Taxi ride rip offs

As with many other tourists, I enjoy spending my hard-earned money having a good time in Malta. The only problem is that, should it get about 10 or 11p.m., the majority of bus routes stop, making getting home requiring a taxi.

I was out with a group of friends one day and was faced with this problem in Bugibba. The taxi drivers group together in a town and set unreasonable different prices for non-residents, depending on the accent of the tourist.

Understandably these drivers need to make a living, however if each taxi ride costs a couple of liri extra because we are non-residents it leaves us disheartened and less likely to stay out after the bus service ends and spend our money in the restaurants, bars and stores outside the town we are living in. The end result is that tourists will spend less money in Malta, which essentially penalises the whole island because taxi drivers demand unreasonable fares.

The possible solutions: Install fare meters in taxis so that tourists pay for the distance they travel and, thus, know they are not getting ripped off by drivers. Have bus routes operate until midnight or later to keep the island alive and, thus, have tourists spend more money in Malta. Have service vans more accessible to the public.

These are just a few suggestions from a tourist on how to improve services for everyone so that Malta is further enhanced as a tourist destination, which would improve an already beautiful country.