Radio Cabs / Dial-a-Cab in Delhi

shashank.aggarwal · Oct 23rd, 2007, 15:05

People landing in Delhi consider pre-paid taxis as the only option, and they are not considered very safe. Various reports on IM and other sites have suggested lot of scams and scandals planned by the drivers of such cabs and how apprehensive they feel in them.

However not many people are aware of Radio Cabs operated in Delhi, So I thought I will start a thread and ask the mods to stick it so that people can become more aware of this excellent service.

Here are some advantage :

- The cars are very new and well maintained.
- Maruti Esteems and Tata Indigo Marinas.
- Can be pre-booked.
- Air-conditioned.
- More comfortable than any other cab.
- Boot space is good, and you don't have to pay extra for piece of luggages.
- Drivers reliable and courteous
- They run by meter and will not overcharge as they work for salaries and money goes to cab ccompany.
- They are tracked by GPS by their companies and connected via radio sets.

If you are going by meter its only Rs.15 per Kilometer. Which is around 10% higher that other pathetic cabs. Night charges are extra, I guess 25-30% of the metered fair.

In normal city commuting they have to be called preferably at least 2 hours in advance.

At the airport one of the companies rums a pre-paid counter for radio cabs as well, its a tad expensive that metered version and normal pre-paid cabs, however still a very good option when compared to hotel pickup and normal pre-paid cabs. Alternatively you can also follow the following method :

Before leaving your place, make a long distance call to one of these cab companies, and book a cab at around your landing time in Delhi. Commuters should keep in mind the delays, all flights to Delhi are delayed by an average of 10-20 minutes. After that you might have to collect your luggage. International commuters should also consider the immigration time and make a booking accordingly.

Once you land in Delhi call them from a local phone, and ask them alloted cab number and drivers mobile number. After that if you want you can call the driver and inquire about the status..

Remember this sounds a hassle, but I always use this method, but I carry my mobile phones so its easier for me and you actually do not need to worry a lot, as you are not paying any advance, if you feel apprehensive that they might not turn up OR you are not able to find them, then you always have their pre-paid counter in the airport..

Below are the name of Cab companies operating in Delhi and their numbers..national callers have to prefix city code of 011 and international callers have to put country code (091) and city code (011)..

Mega Cab : 1929, 41414141
Delhi Cab : 44333222
Metro Cab : 1923
Easy Cab : 43434343
Quick Cab: 45333333 http://quickcabs.in/

Mod note and addition below at Shashank's request on 10/1/2008

Additionally:

Members can check when they book the car whether the service providers accept credit card or not, I guess all of them do accept.

Secondly Easy Cab (43434343) has an option for dropping you to the airport from any part of Delhi/NCR for Rs.350 or Rs.15 per km (Whichever is Lesser). Again users have to confirm the same when they place the call for booking.

Note: This thread should be read in conjunction with these two:
Prepaid cab from IGI Airport
Airport cab to hotel, etc. - Scam?!?!
.
.
.

hitanshu · Nov 2nd, 2007, 19:28

Easy Cabs (CarzonRent) have their depot at their airport. So don't bother holding on the phone for ten minutes, just walk across at arrival.

With other cabs, you might have some wait times.

capt_mahajan · Nov 2nd, 2007, 19:32

Thats good to know.

Where is their booth? Outside the terminal or inside?

hitanshu · Nov 2nd, 2007, 19:38

Inside me thinks. But there's a window which is visible from the outside as well. Will recheck and tell

the above funda is important because
a. With most cabs, you spend agonizing times to speak to an operator in evenings
b. Prepaid cabbies have typically stood in queue for close to an hour before they get a passenger. So they are typically short on patience, and looking for ways to skim some more cash. The easy cabs guys are anyday better.

shashank.aggarwal · Nov 2nd, 2007, 19:41

The pre-paid counter is expensive compared to metered version of the radio cabs..

when checked the ride to same destination was Rs.350 on the counter, whereas by the meter it worked around Rs.225

I agree Hitanshu, that you might have to wait for some time before you get to the operator, however if I am more than 2 places in the que, I disconnect and call other service and it works everytime !!

Aishah · Nov 6th, 2007, 22:42

Are these Radio Cabs available 24 hours? If for instance I go out at night to a function can i ring for a cab, say 30 mins. before I want pick-up or is the 2 hour before pick-up necessary?

shashank.aggarwal · Nov 6th, 2007, 23:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aishah

Are these Radio Cabs available 24 hours? If for instance I go out at night to a function can i ring for a cab, say 30 mins. before I want pick-up or is the 2 hour before pick-up necessary?

yes you can ring anytime you want..2 hours is buffer time not mandatory..Just in case..

anyhow there are multiple services, if a cab is not available with one service provider the next one can always be called..

Even if the cab is in your vicinity when you call, then also they will ask for 15-30 minutes of time...as they need to search the exact location as well...

All in all, try to call one as early as you possibly can..

Aishah · Nov 7th, 2007, 08:59

Great! Will definitely go for these - before I was hesitant about late night travel back to where I stay because you can't get autos at that time. Will keep a list of phone nos. handy - will put into mobile in fact! And now, more freedom for me in Delhi!!Before going to a concert I would hire a car to take, wait and drop back but this is fairly costly.

PeakXV · Nov 7th, 2007, 09:33

Sounds comparable to the DTP pre-paid booth in fare (little more expensive yet a little more comfie). Does anybody know if there is a surcharge for medium, large luggage pieces with the Radio Cab boys?

shashank.aggarwal · Nov 7th, 2007, 11:39

no there's no surcharge on any luggage !!

Yogesh Sarkar · Nov 7th, 2007, 11:53

Thanks for starting this thread Shashank, in fact the other day I was searching the net for number of these cab services.

navritu · Nov 15th, 2007, 18:28

I would like to commute between Gurgaon and Dwarka Metro Station. Can I get an auto to travel between two cities crossing the intercity border? If so, does any body knows how much it would cost approximately to take an auto? If I can't get the auto, I hope I can get a taxi. Any ideas how much the taxi would cost?

navritu · Nov 15th, 2007, 18:30

Do we know if these Radio Cabs can travel between Delhi and Gurgaon? Normal (pathetic cabs) cannot I think. One has to hire a private car through a taxi operator and pay obscene fares if one wishes to travel between Delhi and Gurgaon.

shashank.aggarwal · Nov 15th, 2007, 19:05

yes they operate between Delhi and Gurgaon...my freinds frequently use them...

burf · Nov 18th, 2007, 00:50

as these radio cabs are very popular because they don't rip off passengers [even delhites themselves are the frequent victims of normal cabs] i've heard from friends that sometimes the phone lines are forever busy

but they are far better option, i am sure

Oct 23rd, 2007, 15:05	#1
shashank.aggarwal Maha Guru Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: ~ Dilli ~ Posts: 5,928	Radio Cabs / Dial-a-Cab in Delhi People landing in Delhi consider pre-paid taxis as the only option, and they are not considered very safe. Various reports on IM and other sites have suggested lot of scams and scandals planned by the drivers of such cabs and how apprehensive they feel in them. However not many people are aware of Radio Cabs operated in Delhi, So I thought I will start a thread and ask the mods to stick it so that people can become more aware of this excellent service. Here are some advantage : - The cars are very new and well maintained. - Maruti Esteems and Tata Indigo Marinas. - Can be pre-booked. - Air-conditioned. - More comfortable than any other cab. - Boot space is good, and you don't have to pay extra for piece of luggages. - Drivers reliable and courteous - They run by meter and will not overcharge as they work for salaries and money goes to cab ccompany. - They are tracked by GPS by their companies and connected via radio sets. If you are going by meter its only Rs.15 per Kilometer. Which is around 10% higher that other pathetic cabs. Night charges are extra, I guess 25-30% of the metered fair. In normal city commuting they have to be called preferably at least 2 hours in advance. At the airport one of the companies rums a pre-paid counter for radio cabs as well, its a tad expensive that metered version and normal pre-paid cabs, however still a very good option when compared to hotel pickup and normal pre-paid cabs. Alternatively you can also follow the following method : Before leaving your place, make a long distance call to one of these cab companies, and book a cab at around your landing time in Delhi. Commuters should keep in mind the delays, all flights to Delhi are delayed by an average of 10-20 minutes. After that you might have to collect your luggage. International commuters should also consider the immigration time and make a booking accordingly. Once you land in Delhi call them from a local phone, and ask them alloted cab number and drivers mobile number. After that if you want you can call the driver and inquire about the status.. Remember this sounds a hassle, but I always use this method, but I carry my mobile phones so its easier for me and you actually do not need to worry a lot, as you are not paying any advance, if you feel apprehensive that they might not turn up OR you are not able to find them, then you always have their pre-paid counter in the airport.. Below are the name of Cab companies operating in Delhi and their numbers..national callers have to prefix city code of 011 and international callers have to put country code (091) and city code (011).. Mega Cab : 1929, 41414141 Delhi Cab : 44333222 Metro Cab : 1923 Easy Cab : 43434343 Quick Cab: 45333333 http://quickcabs.in/ Mod note and addition below at Shashank's request on 10/1/2008 Additionally: Members can check when they book the car whether the service providers accept credit card or not, I guess all of them do accept. Secondly Easy Cab (43434343) has an option for dropping you to the airport from any part of Delhi/NCR for Rs.350 or Rs.15 per km (Whichever is Lesser). Again users have to confirm the same when they place the call for booking. Note: This thread should be read in conjunction with these two: Prepaid cab from IGI Airport Airport cab to hotel, etc. - Scam?!?! . . . __________________ Travelogue - Around India Random Reviews Last edited by Dilliwala : Nov 18th, 2008 at 12:34. Reason: see mod note. / added 2nd note

Nov 2nd, 2007, 19:28	#2
hitanshu Renegade Killer Bee Join Date: May 2006 Location: Delhi/Mumbai Posts: 211	Easy Cabs (CarzonRent) have their depot at their airport. So don't bother holding on the phone for ten minutes, just walk across at arrival. With other cabs, you might have some wait times. __________________ Collated Leh wisdom here: The Bikenomads Wiki Leh page

Nov 6th, 2007, 22:42	#6
Aishah She-who-must-be-obeyed! Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Jaisalmer Posts: 5,689	Are these Radio Cabs available 24 hours? If for instance I go out at night to a function can i ring for a cab, say 30 mins. before I want pick-up or is the 2 hour before pick-up necessary? __________________ "Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards."

Nov 7th, 2007, 09:33	#9
PeakXV Naan.tering Nabob Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Abode of Glooscap Posts: 4,513	Sounds comparable to the DTP pre-paid booth in fare (little more expensive yet a little more comfie). Does anybody know if there is a surcharge for medium, large luggage pieces with the Radio Cab boys? __________________ What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lives within us. ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes Don't go to India ~ Pre-trip Warnings & Misconceptions?

Nov 7th, 2007, 11:53	#11
Yogesh Sarkar Maha Guru Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: New Delhi (India) Posts: 1,131	Thanks for starting this thread Shashank, in fact the other day I was searching the net for number of these cab services. __________________ My Travelogues \| My Blog \| Ladakh Travel Guide

Nov 2nd, 2007, 19:32	#3
capt_mahajan Dis member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: India Posts: 10,870	Thats good to know. Where is their booth? Outside the terminal or inside?

Nov 2nd, 2007, 19:38	#4
hitanshu Renegade Killer Bee Join Date: May 2006 Location: Delhi/Mumbai Posts: 211	Inside me thinks. But there's a window which is visible from the outside as well. Will recheck and tell the above funda is important because a. With most cabs, you spend agonizing times to speak to an operator in evenings b. Prepaid cabbies have typically stood in queue for close to an hour before they get a passenger. So they are typically short on patience, and looking for ways to skim some more cash. The easy cabs guys are anyday better.

Nov 2nd, 2007, 19:41	#5
shashank.aggarwal Maha Guru Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: ~ Dilli ~ Posts: 5,928	The pre-paid counter is expensive compared to metered version of the radio cabs.. when checked the ride to same destination was Rs.350 on the counter, whereas by the meter it worked around Rs.225 I agree Hitanshu, that you might have to wait for some time before you get to the operator, however if I am more than 2 places in the que, I disconnect and call other service and it works everytime !!

Nov 7th, 2007, 08:59	#8
Aishah She-who-must-be-obeyed! Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Jaisalmer Posts: 5,689	Great! Will definitely go for these - before I was hesitant about late night travel back to where I stay because you can't get autos at that time. Will keep a list of phone nos. handy - will put into mobile in fact! And now, more freedom for me in Delhi!!Before going to a concert I would hire a car to take, wait and drop back but this is fairly costly.

Nov 7th, 2007, 11:39	#10
shashank.aggarwal Maha Guru Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: ~ Dilli ~ Posts: 5,928	no there's no surcharge on any luggage !!

Nov 15th, 2007, 18:28	#12
navritu Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Oxford, England Posts: 12	I would like to commute between Gurgaon and Dwarka Metro Station. Can I get an auto to travel between two cities crossing the intercity border? If so, does any body knows how much it would cost approximately to take an auto? If I can't get the auto, I hope I can get a taxi. Any ideas how much the taxi would cost?

Nov 15th, 2007, 18:30	#13
navritu Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Oxford, England Posts: 12	Do we know if these Radio Cabs can travel between Delhi and Gurgaon? Normal (pathetic cabs) cannot I think. One has to hire a private car through a taxi operator and pay obscene fares if one wishes to travel between Delhi and Gurgaon.

Nov 15th, 2007, 19:05	#14
shashank.aggarwal Maha Guru Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: ~ Dilli ~ Posts: 5,928	yes they operate between Delhi and Gurgaon...my freinds frequently use them...

Nov 18th, 2007, 00:50	#15
burf wondering when? Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: delhi Posts: 325	as these radio cabs are very popular because they don't rip off passengers [even delhites themselves are the frequent victims of normal cabs] i've heard from friends that sometimes the phone lines are forever busy but they are far better option, i am sure

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