Councillors in Coín are now using taxis as official transport, rather than their own vehicles, in a move aimed primarily, they say, at helping taxi drivers in the municipality.
Municipal officials attend meetings in Málaga at least once a week as well as making trips to other municipalities. An agreement with the taxi company sees the same standard rate being charged but a reduction in the ‘waiting’ time from €13 to €10 per hour.
Critics argue that this system could lead to a dramatic increase in municipal transport costs but the Council says it will try to encourage those who have to travel each week to, for example, Málaga to do so on the same day and in the same vehicle. This, they say, will mean one cost rather than fuel costs for perhaps four different vehicles.
Before the introduction of this system, councillors used their own cars for official business, reclaiming the costs for such things as fuel. However, some costs ended up being excluded and had to be borne by the councillors themselves.
The taxi drivers in the municipality have suffered a fifty percent reduction in income since 2008 as a result of fewer fares due to the financial crisis.