Sherab Lhamo

The Bhutan Taxi Association (BTA) has clarified that the inter-dzongkhag taxi rates circulating on social media are inaccurate and are not issued by the association.

Tshering Penjor, the executive director of the BTA, said that the association is not a regulatory body. He  pointed out that the taxi rate sheet circulating lacked the official BTA letterhead and seal, casting doubt on its validity.

The taxi fare rates circulating on social media indicate a charge of Nu 200 from Thimphu to Paro. However, according to the revised rates by the Bhutan Construction and Transport Authority (BCTA), each passenger should be charged Nu 314.

Based on BCTA’s inter-dzongkhag rate for a five to six-seater taxi, the fare is set at Nu 23.31 per kilometre. For roughly 54-kilometre journey from Thimphu to Paro, the total cost is Nu 1,258, which, when divided among four passengers, amounts to around Nu 314 per person.

During a Facebook Live session on September 18, Tshering Penjor, clarified that the incorrect fare sheet had been uploaded to a Facebook group.

Upon further inquiry, those responsible for the post were unaware of the original source of the information.

Tshering Penjor said that inter-dzongkhag travel fares face fewer issues compared to intra-dzongkhag travel.

However, some commuters expressed frustration with taxis, citing unreliability and frequent disputes with drivers, which have led many to prefer city buses instead.

One social media user sasked: “How can we ensure taxi drivers accept the correct fare? Many passengers pay the fare demanded to avoid conflict.”

Tshering Penjor also addressed suggestions about implementing an app or meter reading system for taxis. He said that apps like Uber would not work in Bhutan because taxis here were typically shared, unlike Uber’s private reservation model.

Regarding a meter system, he noted potential challenges, as drivers might exploit the system by taking longer routes, which could increase conflicts between passengers and drivers.

He suggested establishing fixed taxi rates for specific areas. For example, he said, areas like Lungtenzampa, Changangkha Lhakhang, and Zilukha could have fixed fares, either Nu 100 or Nu 150, which could be communicated to the public to benefit both passengers and drivers.

He said that implementing fixed taxi rates would help address the issue of double fares charged during night time.

BCTA indicated that these fare revisions are based on a computational model that takes into account various factors, such as annual recurring expenses, registration and renewal fees, insurance premiums, fitness tests, driver salaries, and overall operational costs.

Tshering Penjor said that data is collected from taxi drivers in each dzongkhag, which is then entered into the system to calculate an average fare after considering all operational costs.