Tourism, the economic engine of the Canary Islands, is once again tainted by fraud. The local police in southern Gran Canaria have dealt a blow to unethical professional practices after investigating a taxi driver accused of defrauding some 2.400 foreign visitors. The driver, one of 11 under investigation and facing legal proceedings, allegedly obtained an illicit profit of approximately €30.000 by systematically manipulating his fares over the past two years.
The three-month investigation uncovered a simple yet lucrative practice. According to José Carlos Álamo, the town's Security Councillor, the suspect charged fares that didn't correspond to the actual distance traveled, taking advantage of tourists' lack of familiarity with the local pricing system. What began as a suspicion during a routine traffic stop ended up revealing a widespread practice of these irregularities, which have severely damaged the image of one of Europe's most important tourist destinations.
This case is not an isolated incident detected solely by the police. The municipality's own Taxi Cooperative had raised the alarm after receiving constant complaints from customers who noticed exorbitant fares. In response, the San Bartolomé de Tirajana City Council has stepped up surveillance: eleven more licenses are currently under suspicion, and several others are under investigation. "This is not an isolated incident," local authorities warn, determined to restore the reputation of a sector that is crucial for mobility in areas like Playa del Inglés and Maspalomas.
The shadow of fraud in the south of the island, compounded by the recent case of a police officer in Mogán accused of issuing fraudulent fines, has accelerated political decision-making. The Director General of Transport for the Canary Islands Government, María Fernández, has announced that work is underway to implement a single taxi fare. This measure aims to simplify the fare collection system in most Canary Island municipalities, eliminating the technical complexities some drivers use to inflate prices and ensuring greater transparency for visitors.
