The risks of a fraudulent or illegal taxi: why you should not get into an unlicensed car

The risks of an illegal taxi are of three kinds: financial (they can charge you whatever they like, because there is no official fare and no approved meter), safety (you get into a stranger's car with no oversight from any authority) and safeguards (no valid receipt, no clear way to complain and, possibly, not the same cover as an authorised service). However attractive the price they offer you may seem, it is not worth it: in Madrid, always use an official taxi or a transport service with the proper authorisation.

We mean any vehicle offering paid transport without the necessary authorisation. The most common cases are:

• Private individuals touting for customers at stations or at the airport, offering to take them “for less”.
• Vehicles that imitate a taxi, with some sort of marking to look official.
• Services advertised on social media or posters with no identifiable company behind them.

They should not be confused with VTC (private-hire vehicles with a driver, booked through an app), which are a legal service when they have their authorisation, although they work under different rules from taxis. We explain the differences in what the differences are between taxis and VTC.

The cheap price is the bait, but once you are in the car you are at the driver's mercy:

• No official fare: nothing obliges them to stick to the price agreed when you got in.
• Made-up surcharges for suitcases, for the time of day or for “the traffic”.
• No valid receipt, which leaves you with no proof of payment and no evidence to complain.

By contrast, an official service with a fixed fare tells you the price before you set off: with us, for example, from inside the M-30 to the airport it is €33, and the other areas are published on the fares page.

An official taxi is backed by a licence, a driver with a municipal permit and a vehicle that undergoes inspections. With illegal transport you know none of that:

• You do not know who is driving or whether they have the right training or permit.
• You do not know whether the vehicle is roadworthy.
• You are exposed to theft or abuse, especially if you are travelling alone, at night or with a lot of luggage.

If something goes wrong in an official taxi, there is a licence to identify, a City Council that supervises and a procedure for complaints. With fraudulent transport, all of that disappears. And in the event of an accident, you may not have the same safeguards or cover as with an authorised service.

• Do not accept offers of transport from people who approach you, however friendly they seem.
• Use official taxi ranks or hail a free taxi in the street.
• Book in advance with an identifiable company: with the airport taxi booking you know who is picking you up and how much you will pay. For groups, the private airport transfer is the legal, comfortable alternative.
• Check the vehicle before you get in: official livery, licence and meter.

You will find more guidance in our safety tips for taking a taxi in Madrid, and the specific case of the airport in pirate taxi drivers at Barajas.