Best practices when taking a taxi

Fares and choice of taxi

In Luxembourg, taxi fares are not set at national or municipal level. Each operator sets its own fare scale freely. The customer nevertheless retains the possibility of choosing a taxi in full transparency.

To this end, every taxi must clearly display the standardised fare schedule on the rear right-hand window of the vehicle. The driver may not, under any circumstances, prevent the customer from consulting the fares.

It follows from this freedom of pricing that the customer is not required to take the first taxi in the queue. The customer may choose the vehicle that best suits their needs based on the price, the type of vehicle, the number of passengers or items of luggage to be carried, or any combination of these criteria.

Some drivers nonetheless refuse to take customers when they are not at the front of the queue. Such a practice is contrary to the legislation in force. The customer is entitled to remind the driver of their obligation to accept the fare. Should the driver persist in refusing, the customer may report the incident to a Police or to a Customs officer , both of which are competent to record the offence.

Travelling with children

The Luxembourg Highway Code requires the wearing of seatbelts and the use of a restraint device suited to the age and size of the child. In taxis, however, the driver is not required to provide a special restraint device.

It is therefore recommended to book the journey in advance and to check with the operator whether a suitable child seat can be provided.

Where no special restraint device is available on board, the Highway Code allows, in taxis, the carriage of children aged 3 to 17 whose height is below 150 cm on a rear seat, provided they wear at least the lap belt. The driver is entitled to refuse the journey if no compliant device is available and the conditions of carriage cannot be met.

Travelling with animals

The taxi driver may refuse to carry an animal if they consider that it could damage the vehicle or pose a danger. Only assistance dogs accompanying a person with a disability, their trainer or their host family may not be refused.

It is therefore advisable to contact the taxi company before the journey to find out the conditions under which the animal will be accepted.

Where the driver agrees to the journey, the animal must travel under safety conditions in accordance with the provisions of the Highway Code, that is to say appropriately secured (harness, transport box or any other suitable device), so as not to constitute a danger to the occupants of the vehicle. Failure to comply with this obligation may give rise to an on-the-spot fine in the event of a check.

The driver is not required to provide the animal’s restraint device. It is the customer’s responsibility either to bring one along or to ensure, at the time of booking, that a suitable device will be available.

Per-kilometre fare or flat fare

The amended law of 5 July 2016 on the organisation of taxi services provides for two distinct pricing methods.

The per-kilometre fare applies when the customer takes a taxi at a rank or hails one en route. The fare is calculated automatically by the taximeter, based on the fare schedule displayed at the rear of the vehicle.

The flat fare is generally offered by taxi companies on prior booking. It is recommended to verify, at the time of booking, that the price quoted is genuinely a flat fare and not merely an estimate, in order to avoid any dispute at the end of the journey.

As a general indication, journeys booked in advance at a flat fare are usually more advantageous than equivalent journeys charged on a per-kilometre basis.

Route taken

The taxi driver is required to take the shortest route between the point of pick-up and the destination. This obligation is particularly important when the journey is charged at the per-kilometre fare.

Differences between routes can be significant. By way of example, the journey between the airport and Cloche d’Or or the city centre can vary considerably depending on the route chosen, with the fastest route often being the most expensive due to the greater distance.

Should the customer wish to require the driver to take a route other than the shortest, the driver may ask them to sign a waiver form regarding the obligation to take the shortest route. Any additional cost arising therefrom is borne exclusively by the customer, who may not subsequently raise a claim for non-compliance with that obligation.