Lisbon, June 12, 2026 (Lusa) - ANTUP – the National Association of United Taxis of Portugal – said on Friday that the sector’s new fare regulations, published on Tuesday, threaten the sustainability of the industry, penalise vehicles with higher passenger capacity, and increase administrative costs.
In a statement, ANTUP highlighted the need for “significant positive adjustments” to the new fare regulation issued by the Mobility and Transport Authority (AMT), which sets out the new general rules for pricing in the public passenger transport service by taxi and was published in the Official Gazette on Tuesday.
“While promising simplification, the document could introduce significant economic uncertainty, fail to honour commitments made in preparatory meetings, and impose additional administrative costs on operators,” ANTUP said.
The Association contests the new fare regulation, stressing that the new rules create significant uncertainty, impose an illogical fare penalty on vehicles with a higher capacity (more than four seats), and impose an overwhelming burden of bureaucracy and costs on small operators.
According to ANTUP, during preparatory negotiation meetings, the AMT agreed to and supported the creation of a dual tariff for vehicles with a capacity of more than 4 passengers.
“The consensus among all industry associations and the AMT itself was clear: these vehicles would use the standard fare when carrying up to four passengers and would apply the higher fare only when the actual number of passengers was greater,” it said.
According to the Association, the regulation was published without this safeguard.
“The final solution adopted by the AMT is completely illogical. Currently, these vehicles face a fare increase of around 28% compared to four-seater vehicles,” emphasises ANTUP.
The new regulation, according to ANTUP, also imposes substantial bureaucratic responsibilities on operators, with these professionals being “required to collect, process and submit a comprehensive series of data digitally, ranging from detailed breakdowns of staff and maintenance costs to minute-by-minute operational metrics for every service provided”.
ANTUP also notes that Article 20 of the regulation sets a 70-day deadline for the mandatory reprogramming and calibration of all taximeters, which will entail immediate costs for operators.
In the statement, ANTUP said that the transitional fare update will come into force on 28 August, with a 9% increase on the current structure (€0.58 per kilometre and €0.28 per minute).
The association reiterates that the regulation “places significant financial pressure on professionals, affects investments made in fleets and adds substantial bureaucracy to an activity intended to be agile, modern and at the service of the public”.
The new regulation setting out the general rules for pricing based on service types, drafted by the regulator following a public consultation, comes into force 10 days after publication (19 June) and follows the new legal framework for passenger transport by taxi (Decree-Law 101/2023) applicable throughout the country since 1 November 2023.
The new fare model introduces a calculation system that keeps the initial charge lower than the current one while adding simultaneous charges based on the journey's time and distance.
It also provides for the creation of a tariff structure which takes into account that on public holidays and festive dates there is “an increase in the price based on journey time”, as well as seasonal tariffs in regions with high tourist appeal.
The tariffs will vary by vehicle capacity, reflecting higher costs for larger taxis.
DD/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
