It seems like the taxi drivers are being reported, but not taking any notice!
http://in-cyprus.com/paphos-airport-cab ... f-punters/

there are plenty of decent and honourable taxi drivers - certainly in Paphos, can't speak for other areas - who will happily transport to and from airport at much more reasonable prices.

This falls under the expression Caveat Emptor (Let the buyer beware). If you hail a cab anywhere in Cyprus and ask the price to the destination the driver will tell you what the cost is. That is the amount in full that you need to pay him. If you don't like the cost. Don't get in the cab. If you pre-book the taxi, the rates, if not on their web sites, will be agreed up front. Again, if you don't want to pay that amount, don't book the taxi. How is that being 'ripped off'? As for buying Mercedes cars (or mini-buses), taxi drivers make most of their income from regular corporate clients, who expect a certain standard.

I normally use the same driver when he is available. Last time I called him, he was taking a fare to Larnaca and not available, so he offered to send a driver from another company. That replacement driver duly took me to my destination (for the same price). On the journey, chatting to him was like chatting to a long lost relative. I was so impressed with him, I asked him for a card. He refused to give me one, saying that I was his friend's customer. A lesser man would have given me the card. There are a few cowboys out there, but most are reasonably honest, and some exceptional.

Well, one thing I never thought I would see on an expat forum was posters defending taxi drivers who overcharge!

As I seem to be in a minority in objecting to that I will make no further comment apart from to ask whether, given that a 1.5 litre bottle of milk has to be charged at the government approved price of €2.10 (might be €2.05), does that mean that those who are happy to be overcharged for taxi rides would also be happy if their local shopkeeper decided to charge them €3.00 instead, on the basis that they "have to earn a living"?

We had an experance when we arrived at paphos airport to pick up a hire car after arriving late in the evening, after searching the car park for our hire car with being told my name on a piece of A4 paper on the dashboard and ringing up the car hire company confirming the location, there was still no car. We had to get a taxi from the airport to chloraka and being charged 45 euros one way, for two people, one suit case and two hand luggage. After the car hire company investagated the matter the next day it appears the taxi drivers moved the hire car from its location in order in obtaining custom. We were refunded the full cost of the taxi journey and given a discount on the hire car we used for the rest of our holiday. The owners of the car hire company with the police are taking action and this was not the first time, it was quite frequent and reported by other car hire companies the activity by the paphos airport taxi drivers.

How did the taxi drivers get the keys to a hire car?

Probably by feeling on top of the tyres. That's where they normally leave the keys!

Here are the approved taxi rates from the CTO.

The law states that taxi drivers have to use their metre, anybody who tries to justify them not doing this is a part of the problem.

The biggest issue is the aggressive manner in which they act at the airport, if you don't accept their price they will not allow you to go and negotiate with the next driver. If metres were used nobody would be able to complain about being overcharged and nobody would be able to rip anyone off.
There are plenty of police at the airport who should be enforcing this to protect the unaware tourists.

I can only speak from my own experience and obviously your experience has been different to mine.
The main cause of all of these problems is the refusal to use a metre, and nobody can offer a good reason for this except to rip off the customer.

I understand that you are happy with the situation and don't seem to mind being overcharged, but can you explain why the taxi drivers refuse to use their metres when it's the law?

I understand that you are happy with the situation and don't seem to mind being overcharged, but can you explain why the taxi drivers refuse to use their metres when it's the law?

It is of no relevance whatsoever if you "agree" the fee before getting in the car, as this should not legally be the way to do it. As you quite rightly say p.eddie, why should that ever be neccessary, other than the taxi driver wanting to rip you off in the first place? You also so rightly say that if the meters were used by every taxi driver, then there would be no need for all this nonsence. COYS, you probably live here, but most people landing at Paphos airport are no doubt holidaymakers, and therefore their first impression is of being conned immediately they arrive in Cyprus after being overcharged by some taxi driver, who probably goes home and boasts how much he has conned the tourists today. They are too thick to realise that those tourists go home and say to their relatives and friends that they were conned the first moment they got into Cyprus. Not a good impression. Yet again, the police do nothing as they are probably related, in some way, to the taxi drivers, and turn a blind eye. When will Cyprus ever learn?

Yes COYS, but you have stated you have been going to Vegas for "years", so you were aware of the scam. On the other hand, holidaymakers coming here to Cyprus for the first time will probably not be aware of the scam, so start their holiday feeling unhappy, and then when they do go home, tell the story to so many others, some of whom may then decide to never come here.

I not disagreeing with you, Ive lived here for thirty years, and I remember people back then rightly moaning about the cab drivers, has anything changed in thirty years no..will anything change I doubt it as there is no political will to do anything about it, so the only thing anyone can do is try and ask before getting in a cab...sorry but if you think anything will change, then good luck.

Well, the last Mayor is currently in prison, so reckon anything can happen!

Glad you think it's funny. I don't.