Prague Mayor Pavel Bem went undercover, disguised as a foreigner, to find out how badly the city's taxi operators were overcharging passengers.
"I expected to be overcharged by maybe 50 or 100 percent. But not by 500 percent!" Bem said.
In another ride, he asked to pay in euros and the driver made an immediate 200 percent upward adjustment to the fare. Tourism is a major part of the Prague economy, and taxi drivers are apparently rigging meters for unsuspecting tourists.
Bem said more controls will be placed on taxis, as officials are worried about damage to the new EU member's public image. Bem also recommends negotiating a fare before the taxi ride begins.
