Taxis in Andalucía are set to get the green light for the modernisation of their services.

After two years of debate, the Junta de Andalucía is set to approve this Tuesday (9 February) the decree for the "modernisation and flexibility" of the taxi sector in the region.

The main new proposals will be that the user will have the possibility of sharing a taxi and also knowing, in advance, how much the journey will cost.

Once the approval is given, the new regulations will come into effect after their publication in the BOJA, the Junta's official gazette, in the coming days.

The establishment of a fixed price for previously contracted services, so that users can know in advance the maximum rate they will pay at the end of the journey, is one of the main features.

There is also the option that the client can share a trip with other users so that it works out cheaper.

"This decree will increase the quality of the service as demanded not only by the sector, but also by the users themselves," said the Junta's Minister of Development, Marifrán Carazo.

There are also other improvements aimed at the user, such as the obligation to allow payment by credit card.

There will also be the requirement to carry a taximeter except in towns with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants - provided that an alternative system of routes with a fixed rate is established - and a guarantee of the availability of vehicles adapted for people with mobility problems 24 hours a day.

Taxis will also be allowed to pick up clients in towns other than from the one in which they have been granted their licence. At the moment, the only exceptions are to go to airports and ports as long as they are pre-booked. With the new regulations they can also pick up in different locations when clients are going to the same destination. For example, a taxi that leaves Estepona to take tourists to the AVE railway station or airport in Malaga could stop in Benalmádena or Torremolinos to pick up more travellers.

The decree also includes other aspects such as all vehicles having carry the licence number and the coat of arms of their municipality; the removal of the restriction that the vehicle is not more than two years old when the municipal authorisation is granted; and the maximum age of the cars will be set at 12 years.