Cochin airport - "prepaid taxi?"

vandy · Feb 11th, 2009, 10:36

Hi Jan,

Glad you enjoyed your visit to India in Particular Kerala.

Looking forward to any kind of trip report and any pics of course.

Did you manage to get into the hills of kerala,ie
Munnar & Thekady and also the backwaters ?

Don't forget to add any Hotel reviews when you get the time.

Damn Hot in Perth, wish I was back in Munnar when
these heat waves hit like a ton of bricks.

Rgds

vandy

paddu_es · Jun 12th, 2009, 12:06

Any thoughts on cheaper ways to get to Irinjalakuda (about 50km north of the airport off NH47)? My flight arrives at 8.45PM so I can imagine that public transport might be very limited. But my return flight is at 8PM so I want to try taking a bus for that.

Thanks!

coolgoose2 · Jul 8th, 2009, 11:19

Hi all

The pre-paid taxi system in Cochin International Airport is a scam..However there is an alternate way to beat it.If you are arriving at daytime( between 6am and 7pm), walk out of the airport terminus; take the trolley and go up to the entrance/exit gate and get an autorikshaw to Angamaly KSRTC Bus stand (Kerala State Road Transport Corporation). You will be charged around Rs. 100 for this 5 Km journey by autorikshaw. From Angamaly Bus stand you will get bus to anywhere in Kerala. Sometime, for going to Munnar side, you will have to take a short trip to Alwaye by bus and go from there. To Calicut/Trissur/ Palakkad side as well as to Ernakulam/Trivandrum side also buses are available from Angamaly bus stand.

Sometimes, the 'return taxis'( Taxis which drop passengers in domestic terminals), while on their way out takes passengers to Ernakulam (Vyttila Junction) for as low as Rs.50/- per passenger. However the organized taxi drivers will object, if you attempt to board the taxi from the airport premises. So get out of the airport and try your luck..

All the best

CliveG · Jul 8th, 2009, 15:51

Hi Coolgoose2. I am interested as to why you believe the pre-paid taxi service is a scam. Over the past few years I have found the cost of travelling from the airport to Ernakulam to have been fairly constant. After an 11 hour flight the last thing my wife and I want to do is to carry a lot of luggage, including diving gear, around the airport car park then try and cram it into an autorickshaw and or lug it onto a bus. Yes it is more expensive than buses or autorickshaws but calling them a scam seems a bit harsh.

coolgoose2 · Jul 8th, 2009, 20:08

Sir,

Most of the pre-paid taxi cars belongs to people and their relatives in whose land the airport now stands. The land were acquired from them on market-rate basis. These taxi-men veto when somebody makes a plan for bus service to Ernakulam on fixed time from Airport and back like they have in New Delhi.

Some time back, Air Deccan launched a pick-up service from Ernakulam to Cochin Airport and then flight to Trivandrum on really dirt cheap fare, these taxi-men vetoed the same. Air deccan had canceled this schedule after a few weeks.

At the time of inauguration of the Airport in 1999, the exclusivity conferred on the taxi-drivers did carry some weight. But after 10 years it is really absurd to deny competition.

Like as you said, it is not worth the pain to haul luggage and cramp in autorickshaw in wee hours.

regards

CliveG · Jul 9th, 2009, 18:10

I see your point -it was the interpretation of the word scam that confused me. I thought you might mean the drivers were scamming their passengers. Restrictive practises occur all over the world and while not in favour of them I can see that the drivers are trying to hang on to their livelihood.

kenneyjacob · Jul 11th, 2009, 07:28

Cochin still needs a good taxi service like we have in Bangalore or Delhi. Most of the big taxi groups are not operating in cochin.

scribetribe · Sep 22nd, 2009, 05:58

Does the return trip from Ernakulam town (business area) or Fort Cochin to the airport also cost the same (Rs 700)? Or is there a cheaper way to get there?

I just want to spend the night there before catching a flight next morning, so, in that sense, spending 1,400 bucks on just taxi fare doesn't sound practical. I would rather use that money checking-in to a nicer hotel close to the airport...which brings me to the question...

Is there a good hotel that is just walkable distance from the airport? Or will I need to hire a cab even for that? Looking forward to suggestions.

Jun 12th, 2009, 12:06	#47
paddu_es Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Mumbai Posts: 1	To Irinjalakuda? Any thoughts on cheaper ways to get to Irinjalakuda (about 50km north of the airport off NH47)? My flight arrives at 8.45PM so I can imagine that public transport might be very limited. But my return flight is at 8PM so I want to try taking a bus for that. Thanks!

Jul 11th, 2009, 07:28	#52
kenneyjacob Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Kerala Posts: 137	Cochin still needs a good taxi service like we have in Bangalore or Delhi. Most of the big taxi groups are not operating in cochin. __________________ Chowara Beach, Trivandum Kerala Ponmudi Hill Station, Trivandrum Kerala

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Feb 11th, 2009, 10:36	#46
vandy Maha Guru Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: perth-australia Posts: 1,112	Hi Jan, Glad you enjoyed your visit to India in Particular Kerala. Looking forward to any kind of trip report and any pics of course. Did you manage to get into the hills of kerala,ie Munnar & Thekady and also the backwaters ? Don't forget to add any Hotel reviews when you get the time. Damn Hot in Perth, wish I was back in Munnar when these heat waves hit like a ton of bricks. Rgds vandy

Jul 8th, 2009, 11:19	#48
coolgoose2 Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Trivandrum Posts: 4	Hi all The pre-paid taxi system in Cochin International Airport is a scam..However there is an alternate way to beat it.If you are arriving at daytime( between 6am and 7pm), walk out of the airport terminus; take the trolley and go up to the entrance/exit gate and get an autorikshaw to Angamaly KSRTC Bus stand (Kerala State Road Transport Corporation). You will be charged around Rs. 100 for this 5 Km journey by autorikshaw. From Angamaly Bus stand you will get bus to anywhere in Kerala. Sometime, for going to Munnar side, you will have to take a short trip to Alwaye by bus and go from there. To Calicut/Trissur/ Palakkad side as well as to Ernakulam/Trivandrum side also buses are available from Angamaly bus stand. Sometimes, the 'return taxis'( Taxis which drop passengers in domestic terminals), while on their way out takes passengers to Ernakulam (Vyttila Junction) for as low as Rs.50/- per passenger. However the organized taxi drivers will object, if you attempt to board the taxi from the airport premises. So get out of the airport and try your luck.. All the best

Jul 8th, 2009, 15:51	#49
CliveG Maha Guru Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: PORTSMOUTH U.K. Posts: 926	Hi Coolgoose2. I am interested as to why you believe the pre-paid taxi service is a scam. Over the past few years I have found the cost of travelling from the airport to Ernakulam to have been fairly constant. After an 11 hour flight the last thing my wife and I want to do is to carry a lot of luggage, including diving gear, around the airport car park then try and cram it into an autorickshaw and or lug it onto a bus. Yes it is more expensive than buses or autorickshaws but calling them a scam seems a bit harsh.

Jul 8th, 2009, 20:08	#50
coolgoose2 Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Trivandrum Posts: 4	Sir, Most of the pre-paid taxi cars belongs to people and their relatives in whose land the airport now stands. The land were acquired from them on market-rate basis. These taxi-men veto when somebody makes a plan for bus service to Ernakulam on fixed time from Airport and back like they have in New Delhi. Some time back, Air Deccan launched a pick-up service from Ernakulam to Cochin Airport and then flight to Trivandrum on really dirt cheap fare, these taxi-men vetoed the same. Air deccan had canceled this schedule after a few weeks. At the time of inauguration of the Airport in 1999, the exclusivity conferred on the taxi-drivers did carry some weight. But after 10 years it is really absurd to deny competition. Like as you said, it is not worth the pain to haul luggage and cramp in autorickshaw in wee hours. regards

Jul 9th, 2009, 18:10	#51
CliveG Maha Guru Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: PORTSMOUTH U.K. Posts: 926	I see your point -it was the interpretation of the word scam that confused me. I thought you might mean the drivers were scamming their passengers. Restrictive practises occur all over the world and while not in favour of them I can see that the drivers are trying to hang on to their livelihood.

Sep 22nd, 2009, 05:58	#53
scribetribe Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: New Delhi Posts: 13	Does the return trip from Ernakulam town (business area) or Fort Cochin to the airport also cost the same (Rs 700)? Or is there a cheaper way to get there? I just want to spend the night there before catching a flight next morning, so, in that sense, spending 1,400 bucks on just taxi fare doesn't sound practical. I would rather use that money checking-in to a nicer hotel close to the airport...which brings me to the question... Is there a good hotel that is just walkable distance from the airport? Or will I need to hire a cab even for that? Looking forward to suggestions.