Prepaid cab from IGI Airport

Darryl

Oops

that should've been Mickey ...thanks

Darryl

Dilliwala

This thread has, dare I say it, degenerated - or let's just say, meandered away (much better) - from a simple query by the OP about taxi options from IGIA (Intl), to a discussion about dilectic existentialism, almost. (BTW, I don't know what the term means, I just thought it wud be to throw it in).
While I wudn't dream of trying to stop anyone from saying their piece, I think it's important to exercise a little reticence while giving one's personal opinion, especially keeping a clear dividing line between fact and that personal opinion. An info thread is not doing it's job, if after one-and-half pages, some first-timers to Delhi are still confused about what is or isn't the situation at IGIA.

When in doubt, DIY. I just spoke to both the below-mentioned operators a short while back and asked them for fares to my place (22 km from the Intl a/p), so my info is valid upto about 60 minutes ago. Anyone who wishes to, please speak to them yourself and verify.

1. As I have known for a few months myself, there IS a booth for radio-cabs (air-conditioned) at IGIA Intl. No waiting, whether 10 mins or 2 hours. Works exactly like the other guys - slab-fares for different zones of the city (including satellite towns), u pay at the counter, take your token, go outside, get in your cab.
The company is Easy Cab (same people whose city tel no. is 43434343),Their airport tel no. is 25653558.
Day-rate to my zone - Rs. 470 (5 am to 11 pm. If your journey starts before 11 pm but ends after, that's still a day-rate).
Night-rate - Rs. 568 (11 pm to 5 am. In other words, say if u come out of Customs at 4.45 am, wait the 15 min).

2. The second operator is the old Prepaid Taxi service (black/yellow cabs - no a/c), run by Delhi Traffic Police (If anyone wants to call them - 25652011, ask for the Prepaid counter). Counter just outside of Customs, like above. They also have a 2nd counter outside the building, where their taxis are. If there's a crowd at the inside-counter, go to the outside one - only old hands use it (apart from those who missed the inside one and walked out) - less waiting.
Day-rate to my zone - Rs. 215 (5 am to 11 pm, same principle as mentioned above)
Night-rate - Rs. 270 (11 pm to 5 am)
Plus Rs. 10 per piece of baggage (storage in boot), regardless of time of day. U do NOT pay anything for hand-luggage (carry-ons) which u carry inside the seating area. (Sometimes they'll try and tell u that a large-ish piece is not hand-luggage - stand your ground. If the airline allows it in the aircraft cabin, it's hand-luggage). Hint: a small piece of checked baggage (non-suitcase kind), can easily masquerade as hand-luggage, especially if u have little else.

From the above, u can get an idea about the fares for other places also. Note the big diff between the two operators, especially at night. Well, one gives u comfort, the other economy. Take your pick.

3. There is no mafia running taxi services at IGIA. Everything is legit.

4. There are no 3-wheelers (auto-rickshaws). But DTC does operate bus services to different parts of the city.

More later.

RPG

The following point has been made before but is worth repeating. If the regular taxi drivers were such nice honest guys, there would be no need for prepaid counters!

shashank.aggarwal

well, again, the info seems to be correct..but the pre-paid system is always expensive..

otherwise the radio cabs run at Rs.15 per KM, and this way they shud not be more that Rs.350 to your place..

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Dilliwala

1. taxi driver's info is correct, including about the free transfer to the Domestic Trml. And the change issue he has addressed as well (thanks, I didn't know this). He seems to be legit about being a cabbie - notice that with all the info he's given out, he did not say a word about the competition !

2. Yes, it is, they HAVE to drop u to the gate/entrance of the house/building u want to go to. E.g. if u pay for Shakti Nagar as per the board, they have to drop u to any point within Shakti Nagar. They may WANT to drop u on the main-road, that doesn't mean u have to accept it, stand your ground.

3. Any first-timers who are still having doubts - there is a tel no. for complaints on the back of the voucher. If there's a problem and u know for a fact that u're getting cheated, threaten to call the no., that will usually fix them. If not, call the no.
I must add here, differences of opinion with the cabbies do arise sometimes about where a locality actually lies, relevant in cases of the boundary-lines between the diff zones. E.g., it is fashionable in Delhi to append the name of an adjoining, more up-market locality to one's own, e.g. ABC-123, Sant Nagar, East of Kailash, or XYZ-789, Kilokri, Maharani Bagh, even when the appending of the latter names in both examples is incorrect. (The Municipal and Postal authorities list them as independent of each other. It's another matter that the PO will still happily deliver your mail. IHOII!)
Kilokri and Maharani Bagh are across the road from each other and have separate identities. Presume that the road between the two is the zone-boundary (I don't know if it is). So u tell the airport counter guy u want to go to Maharani Bagh, pay accordingly and tell the cabbie to take u there. When looking for the address, the cabbie realises it's actually Kilokri, in the adjoining, more expensive zone. Well then, it's a no-brainer isn't it - of course he's going to kick up a fuss. And is legally authorised to collect the fare difference from u. So to avoid such situations, if u have a doubt, give the counter-guy the full address and he'll tell u what u have to pay.

4. About the cabbie wanting to take u to a hotel of his choice - well, what can I say that hasn't been said a thousand times on IM? And this happens not only in India, so as RPG rightly says, be firm.

5. WELL SAID! Cudn't have put it better.

6. Mickey S's explanation in #33 is the best and most-detailed about how to go about the job, from which I want to highlight:
"The driver will try to take the receipt off you, and you should really try to hang onto it until you reach your destination. The driver's motives are not necessarily suspicious; before leaving the taxi rank the details of the vehicle and the journey must be entered into the police logbook, and maybe it's easier for him to provide that information to the police if he has the receipt. But once the driver has the receipt (and will therefore get paid for the journey) he has no incentive to take you where you want to go, so don't give it to him until he has dropped you at your destination."
Exactly right. Take the coupon back, and don't give it back till u're satisfied u've reached where u wanted to go. The cabbies don't get paid unless they can produce the coupon back at the airport, so as long as it's in your possession, they have a serious disincentive against hassling you. BTW, the cabbies are required to hand the coupon back to u at the airport, if u ask for it.

Lastly, I want to say that the majority of the airport cabbies are not out to get u or harrass u. I have used them dozens of times over a 15 year period and have never had a problem. Ok, I know it's different as a local, even so they are not all thugs and vagabonds. Of course the bad 'uns exist, but the majority just want to get back to the airport as quickly as poss, so that they can get back in line to pick up their next fare. It's a long wait, and therefore they have no incentive to make it longer by starting an argument en-route with any particular passenger.
And think about it, if u asked them, chances are that some of them will have their own horror-stories about uncouth customers. We, the fare-paying public, are not all 'washed in milk', as the saying goes.

RPG

The rates quoted by Dilliwala were from the international terminal. I suspect that your estimate is from the domestic terminal.

Megacabs allows you to pre-order a cab, and they will wait for you with a sign. Their fixed rates for this are Rs. 400 from domestic to Connaught Place, Rs. 600 from international. (For other destinations, see their web page.) I am sure this is a little higher than the meter would read.

Dilliwala

I think u're addressing me...?
No shashank, that is not correct. As I have already said, I called Easy Cab at the airport and got the rates directly from them. If u have doubts about the veracity of my info (d'you think I'm making this up?), please go ahead and call them yourself, I've already posted their tel no. In fact, I called 43434343 first, and the guy told me clearly that Rs.15/km applies only for their city-cabs where the customer calls the above no. and the cab shows up. Their airport taxi system functions exactly as I have described, just like DTP's system - no calling, no waiting. The same guy also told me about the slab-fare system for their airport taxis, and that their airport staff wud give me the rates as he didn't have them. And he also gave me their airport tel no. Where else wud I get it from? It's not a publicised no.

But don't rely on me, please go ahead and verify for yourself.

BTW, if u are not 100% sure about your facts, especially in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, isn't it better that u do the research and plug the gaps in your info, as I did, rather than tenaciously hang onto the fixed view ("Rs. 15/km and nothing else") u have developed and don't want to give up at any cost, even when holding onto that view puts holes in your previous statements?

barodian

I totally agree with you and taxi driver! The information given was very detailed and didn't try enforce one's stand.

I want to visit Delhi in December or early January when I come to India. This is the information I wanted. The information should be good valuable source and shouldn't try to generalize one system versus the other. One should not hold a firm stand when facts or valid evidence are provided. Thanks for your input Dilliwala and Taxi Driver!

Dilliwala

Any time.

stellap

Any idea of the cost for a prepaid taxi from Delhi international to H Nizamuddin train station during the day?

Indizen

See this very useful thread:
Radio Cabs / Dial-a-Cab in Delhi

atala

A prepaid taxi to Paharganj (new Delhi Railway station) is 215 Rupees. To Nizamuddin, perhaps 50-80 Rupees more, just a guess.

gulkers

Hi the prepaid taxis from international airport, can one take them to Gurgaon or are they only availabe to Delhi?

nycank

Yes you can - Give them the precise address at the counter and they'll quote you a price.

zoltan

You may find this link of assistance:
http://delhigovt.nic.in/autofares/Transport.asp

Cheers
Zoltan

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