With New Year and all its parties round the corner, my partner and I opted for the safe option in ordering a taxi to take us to Valletta and back home on New Year’s Eve.

We do not want to risk drinking and driving and want a safe journey to and from the venue. We tried all the major garages and were quoted the staggering fee of €50 for a round-robin 10-minute trip from Zebbug to Valletta.

The police are right in doing all they can to discourage people from drinking and driving. But €50? That is bordering on the insane. One understands that private firms might charge higher rates on the night, but one can never justify such a staggering figure.

Perhaps the Competition Department should have a look into it. The fee quoted was absolutely outrageous, smacks of greed and does nothing to incentivise people to use alternative forms of transport.

■ John Camilleri

Zebbug