A taxi driver in Hanoi has been fined VND13.5 million ($580) for overcharging a Polish tourist five times higher than the normal rate for a six-kilometer trip, according to municipal authorities.

The meeting between authorities and Pham Thi Ngoc, the taxi driver who overcharged a Polish tourist, at Apricot Hotel in Hanoi. Photo: Hai Ha

Inspectors of the Hanoi Department of Transport on July 11 levied the fine to Pham Thi Ngoc, the female cabby, who ripped off her foreign guest.

Besides the fine, Ngoc’s driving license has been suspended for two months.

Earlier, on July 1, the Hanoi Department of Tourism received a report from Apricot Hotel in Hoan Kiem District that one of its guests, Dabrowska Malgorzata, a Polish tourist, had to pay VND400,000 ($17.1), or five times higher than the normal charge of VND80,000 ($3.4), for a six-kilometer trip from Hoan Kiem Lake to Hai Ba Trung District.

The complaint, which clearly mentioned the taxicab’s number plate, was forwarded to the inspectors of the Hanoi Department of Transport for handling.

After checking, the inspectors asked the driver to apologize to Malgorzata and return the excess money.

Nevertheless, as Dabrowska Malgorzata has returned to Poland, Tran Quoc Tuan, a representative of Apricot Hotel received the money from Ngoc and will transfer it to the Polish visitor.