Taksi Helsinki, Fixutaksi win bid to operate taxi at Helsinki rail station

Two taxi companies won tender to operate taxi traffic at the Helsinki Central Railway Station’s west entrance (Asema-aukio Square), said the City of Helsinki in a press release on Monday.

Taksi Helsinki Oy and Mankkaan Taksi Oy (Fixutaksi) won the competitive tender where the authority significantly weighted operational quality of the taxi companies in this regard.

Various quality criteria were considered for the submitted tenders. These included driver training, quality of the customer service as well as fleet size and it being emission-free.

The City of Helsinki carried out the competitive tender as the square had seen repeated disturbances, which were felt by both residents and tourists, due to the excess amount of taxis and perceived variance in service quality.

“I am pleased that the City now has high-quality partners at a key location in the city. Customers will now be able to rely on clear taxi pricing and taxi drivers who have been trained in predictive, safe driving and awareness of the needs of special groups,” said Helsinki City Mayor Juhana Vartiainen.

The needs of people with visual and mobility impairments were considered in the competition in terms of the fleet as well. In terms of customer service, the criteria included the number of feedback channels and time spent on processing feedback.

The tender also sought a control operator for Asema-aukio Square. Taxi Point Oy will install a barrier at the square that will identify the cars of the winning companies. The control operator will also keep the City up-to-date on the situation of Asema-aukio Square.

The city will monitor how this changes impacts the nearby area and react appropriately, if needed. It is intended that the new arrangements are in place this summer.