Everybody is putting their prices up in Mallorca as the island becomes increasingly expensive. But one of the main problems is that wages have not kept up with inflation so the general public is starting to get rather tired of having to pay more for what is, in many cases, rather poor value for money. And Palma’s taxi service falls into that bracket in my opinion and experience.
For example, over the past month I have had to rely on taxis for important medical appointments and, on two occasions, taxis I have booked in advance and stressed they were for important medical reasons, have failed to turn up, leaving me having to make urgent alternative arrangements. Did I get an apology or explanation? No.
If only Uber were cheaper for short trips. That said, they have given Palma cabbies a run for their money, the fleet has certainly grown because I am seeing more and more Ubers around Palma, especially outside hotels, which suggests that foreign tourists well versed in using Uber in their home countries are simply opting for Uber before arrival.
Palma taxis are trying to operate a WhatsApp service but it doesn’t work properly and even cabbies have told me they don’t like it. One local resident said that if fares go up, Palma residents should be exempt, while most of my neighbours argue that the service is not worth it as it is.