Taxi business in central Tallinn under mafia control

Toomas Hõbemägi

Popular Estonian TV programme Pealtnägija has proved that the taxi business in central Tallinn is controlled by mafia, writes Postimees.

The authors of the programme who studied the situation on the taxi market for one month said that the big question is whether the authorities are unable to restore order in the market of taxi services or they don’t want to do that.

Pealtnägija that embedded its own journalist among taxi drivers said that its study shows that the claims made by the Estonian Association of Taxi Drivers that there is no mafia in the taxi business are not true.

Taxi drivers themselves claim that in the most attractive and popular areas in central Tallinn there are at least twelve areas controlled by mafia where only taxi drivers who pay mafia are allowed to wait for customers.

According to rumours, taxi drivers pay the highest fee to mafia for the right to wait on the square in front of Hollywood nightclub in the Old Town. Although there is officially no taxi stop on the square.

Taxi drivers themselves say that these areas are protected by mafia and “unauthorized” taxi drivers could easily have their tires punctured by mobsters or face mugging.

Deputy Mayor of Tallinn Jaanus Mutli said that the city simply has no possibility to take the situation under control. Although he has earlier said that Tallinn has one of Europe’s best taxi services, Mutli admits that problems are real.

“The situation is actually getting worse since last year the Supreme Court made a landmark ruling in which it said that the driver of an unlicenced taxi is not a taxi driver and could not be punished under the public transport law. In essence this ruling legalized illegal taxi service in Tallinn,” said Mutli.

“We can check taxis only when they are standing in taxi stops. If it is moving and has customers then we are not allowed to stop it, only the police. However, the police say that they have other priorities, so there is real danger,” he added.