A foreign driver operating without a license or a visible taxi meter was fined CZK 10,000 and had his permit revoked after he picked up undercover inspectors posing as tourists at Václav Havel Airport.

The incident, recorded on video and later published by city authorities, shows the man offering a ride in an unmarked vehicle, missing both a roof light and a taximeter.

Under Czech law, such a setup is only legal if the ride is booked through an app — which, in this case, it wasn’t.

The driver’s actions violated multiple transport regulations. After picking up the supposed tourists, he drove them to Vladislavova Street in central Prague. There, he was already being monitored by municipal police and officials from the city’s transport department.

When questioned, the driver initially claimed he had charged CZK 500, but later admitted the fare was actually CZK 800. He failed to issue a receipt and confessed the trip was arranged by verbal agreement, a practice referred to locally as taking passengers “načerno” — essentially, under the table.

In addition to lacking a registered vehicle and taximeter, the driver picked up passengers directly from the airport terminal, another breach of legal requirements for taxi services in the Czech Republic.

According to city inspectors, the driver’s license was revoked on the spot, and he was issued a CZK 10,000 fine.

Authorities emphasized that unregistered drivers who bypass official procedures undermine trust in Prague’s transport system, especially for tourists arriving in the capital.

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