The Authority for Food and Economic Safety (ASAE) has investigated the number of illegal taxis operating in the Algarve, with little success.
ASAE conducted an inspection in July across the Algarve to estimate the number of illegal taxis taking tourists to and from Faro airport but found only four that did not have the correct documentation.
Despite this action, ASEA has been informed by licensed taxi owners that dozens of illegal taxis are taking people on shorter trips to beaches and restaurants, while avoiding the heavily policed airport run.
Vehicles designed to take passengers to and from hotels are covered by laws as transfers are usually included in holiday packages and do not need meters and are not available for casual hire.
Illegal cabbies charge a rate below that of licensed taxis and as many passengers are not locals, drivers get away with not issuing receipts.
The taxi association in the Algarve says that much of the illegal trade is fuelled by hotel receptionists who call up cheap, unlicensed cabbies for their customers.
The president of the Association of Hotels and Resorts of the Algarve, Elidérico Viegas woke from his slumbers and commented that "hotels are not policemen. Obviously, if hotels are aware that the receptionists hire taxi services that are not legalised, I have no doubt they will put an end to it."
The President of the Algarve Tourism Board, Desiderio Silva admits that there may be a problem, but took the higher ground and skillfully avoided the question of what action he was going to take, "we need to fight insecurity, lawlessness and tax evasion for the Algarve's economy to grow. But the Algarve Tourism Board has difficulty in meddling in areas that are not its responsibility."