PSP tracks fake taxi drivers or TVDEs at Portuguese airports. A police source told Jornal de Notícias (JN) that this is a “phenomenon” that occurs “a little bit at all European airports.”
In 2023, police detected more than a hundred offenders at Sa Carneiro airport in Maia. In the same year, almost a thousand violations were recorded at Humberto Delgado Airport in Lisbon, with fines amounting to one million euros.
According to JN, people are being deceived by persons who are not qualified to carry passengers. Individuals circumvent the rules of the regulated sector by charging amounts higher than the legal amounts and different from those agreed upon with passengers, and end up becoming “victims of fraud, extortion or profiteering.”
“Most approaches take place inside the airport, especially for long-haul passengers such as Brazil and the United States of America,” said a JN flight attendant on the sidelines of the PSP and Institute of Mobility and Transport operation. Transport (BMI).
During this operation, 49 administrative offenses were applied at Sa Carneiro Airport for “various violations identified”, most of which were directed against TVDE drivers, and two false drivers were also recorded in the act.
Taxi drivers interviewed by the newspaper complain that it is damaging their image and are asking for stronger controls to avoid more serious consequences.
Author: morning Post
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Tifany Hawkins, a professional journalist with years of experience in news reporting. I currently work for a prominent news website and write articles for 24NewsReporters as an author. My primary focus is on economy-related stories, though I am also experienced in several other areas of journalism.