Travellers hailing taxis in European cities risk paying way over the odds for a dangerous or unpleasant journey. Test rides in 22 locations, covering five routes per city, resulted in rip-offs, rudeness and breakneck speeds.
The AA, which published the findings, concluded: "The standard of driving and customer care was often appalling. Not one of 22 major cities on the continent provided a taxi service that could be described as 'very good'."
The reports make alarming reading. When a passenger from Rotterdam Airport asked to pay by credit card, the driver swore, made an abrupt U-turn and drove back to find an ATM. In the same Dutch city, another taxi had a quarter of a million miles on the clock, ripped seats and broken windows.
Only six cities had drivers rated "acceptable"; the same number were "very poor". In Germany's second-largest city, Hamburg, a taxi driver drove at 92km/h in a 50km/h zone.
Ignoring red lights, pedestrians and cyclists was commonplace, as was mobile phone use: one driver in Milan sent a text while at the wheel.
