Action Line #100101–Base Taxi

  • Published
  • By 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  Complaint:

The goal of this action line is to increase awareness of an ongoing issue with the base taxi service. What can we do that will benefit the community as well as deter people from using the base taxi service. Are there any other options? I have been at Incirlik for almost two years and use the base taxi service a lot because it is cheaper than renting a car. The cost of a rental car is at least $300/month. If I take a base taxi to and from work M-F for a month (28 days) the fares would equate to approximately $168. Convenience or savings, why not both?

As stated in a previous action line, "whether you pay in dollar or New Turkish Lira, they never have change. They just look at you and expect to keep it." This statement continues to be true! I have taken the advice from the previous action lines. I have refused to pay when exiting the cab and take the fare to the taxi stand later. I have even told the drivers to bring change for 20 TL when I call them for pick-up. The drivers still fail to bring appropriate change in TL. The dependability of the taxi drivers has also decreased dramatically. There have been times that I have had to call 2 or 3 times before a cab driver would show up. I have noticed that there are many new cab drivers that are not familiar with the base. If there are drivers that do not know where they are going, how can we depend on them?

The base taxi service should be a reliable, dependable and an honest service. I know there have been several action lines completed on the base taxi service in the past and the circumstances have not improved. I actually believe that the taxi service has gotten much worse.

What can we do? Are there other options?

Here is an idea...... If the availability and routes of the base shuttle are increased with additional stops on the main thorough fares in the housing areas we may be able to eliminate the base taxi service. If the concern about the base shuttle is the cost, I would be willing to pay for the shuttle as I would for public transportation in the city.

Another idea...... Would HERTZ or AAFES be willing to rent cars to individuals for on base use only at a lower price?

Convenience or savings, why not both?

Response:

We agree--the base taxi service should be reliable, dependable and honest.
As you have noted, there have been several recent Action Line inquiries about the current service. Each time, we contacted the company representative and were assured that the matter was resolved, and we reminded everyone that if any driver refused to provide change to customers, the customers could refuse to pay or go to the taxi stand for reimbursement. However, the situation remains unsatisfactory in overall quality, and we decided to advertise for a new contract for base taxi services.

Although the terms of the new contract are still being drafted, there will be specific provisions regarding use of the meter to display charges in Turkish Lira and not dollars; having proper change on hand; using the current exchange rate if the customer does not have Lira; and publishing a point of contact for complaints. This information will be posted in each taxi for the convenience of both the regular customers, such as yourself, and TDY personnel. We hope to have the new contract in place within three months.

Regarding your suggestion of an on-base rental rate, the price set in the contract between Hertz Turkey and AAFES is fixed, regardless of whether the rental car is driven on or off base. This rate is designed to be competitive with the local market. This, however, does not prevent you from trying to negotiate an "on base only" rate with another rental company.

A more robust shuttle service would be a good alternative means of transport; however, the 39th Logistics Readiness Squadron is limited in the services they can provide and is not able to accommodate more stops in more areas.

Thank you for the great input. Rest assured we are working to make not only this service, but all services on Incirlik better, and we need customers like you to continue providing invaluable input.