Two taxi firms banned from Tan Son Nhat airport for rigging meters

Saigon Taxi and Sai Gon Tourist Transportation has been prohibited indefinitely from picking up and dropping off passengers, according to airport officials.

The two companies have tarnished the airport’s reputation, a spokesperson said.

Two taxis, one each from the companies, were found to have a switch that drivers could flick to get the meter to run rapidly.

Inspectors found that the meter in the Saigon Tourist Transportation vehicle showed 10 times higher fares, while the switch installed by Saigon Taxi increased fares by VND3,000 ($0.13) every time the driver shifted gears.

The drivers and the companies were hit with the maximum stipulated fines of VND700,000 and VND11 million.

Tan Son Nhat is the country’s busiest airport with 60,000-70,000 passengers a day on average.