Hoy newspaper reports that the taxi business is no longer as lucrative as it was in previous years. The reduced profit margins of taxi companies is attributed to an increase in the number of cars offering taxi service, and a decline in the demand for the service due to an improvement in public transport and an increase in the number of individuals who own their own mode of transportation. Taxi earnings that at a time reached RD$1,000 a day, are now said to have declined to an average RD$500 per day. Taxi service in the DR is made up by: Carros públicos: Cars, usually in bad shape, that pack at least six fare-paying passengers in a five-person car on short routes for RD$3 the ride. Radio-taxis: For RD$50, they will take you to almost any point in Santo Domingo. Tourist taxis: Members of unions that operate out of hotels or the airports. These have fixed fees, that are higher than the radio-taxis rates. Yellow checker cabs: New service started by the government. Passengers are charged RD$10 + $3 per kilometer for the ride on these metered taxis. Hoy newspaper says the Ministry of Industry and Commerce has registries for 200 taxi companies. Same figures show there are about 8,500 taxis in circulation.
