“I’m not persuading anyone to buy, I’m just offering if I see there’s a need,” says a taxi driver from Gdańsk. He is not the only one making money from the nighttime ban on alcohol sales in the city.
Such bans are already in effect in more than 200 municipalities in Poland. In some places, it’s the whole city, in others, only specific districts. Businesses are looking for workarounds. In Szczecin, one store created a “tasting room” behind a curtain, where alcohol can only be consumed on-site. In another, they opened a small “garden,” which effectively operates as a bar after 11:00 PM.
In Gdańsk, the ban has been in place since 2021, initially in the center, and since last year, throughout the city, from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM. Authorities explain this by citing safety and order: in their opinion, reducing the availability of alcohol decreases related problems.
But residents are not sure it’s working. And taxi drivers have also found a way to earn. Kacper has been driving passengers around the city for three years and almost every night keeps a stock of alcohol in his trunk.
— People often ask where they can buy alcohol at night. Many newcomers simply don’t know about the ban. That’s how the idea came about, — he explains.
According to him, demand especially increases on weekends.
— Sometimes I have to replenish my stock right at night. I have a small storage in my garage.
He doesn’t specify exact earnings, but says he is “in the black.”
Another taxi driver confirms: in one night, you can earn from alcohol as much as in two days of driving. According to him, this is common not only in Gdańsk but also in other cities.
Taxi drivers are not afraid of the police.
— Formally, I’m not breaking any laws. I’m not forcing anyone to buy — I’m just offering if I see someone needs it, — says Kacper.
Taxi drivers note that after the ban was introduced, the flow of rides to Pruszcz Gdański, where there are no restrictions, has increased — people simply go there to buy alcohol.
Local authorities, meanwhile, have refused to introduce a ban, fearing a drop in store revenues, a decrease in taxes, and an increase in conflicts.
