Mumbai taxi fare: did I rip my driver off?

Georg Naggies

Hi Guys!

I was having an argument with a taxi driver about the fare from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus to the airport (actually to the Hyatt near the airport). It was half an hour easy driving in light traffic at 8 in the morning. I gave him 500. He wanted 650. I figured since I have overpayed him already, I will leave it at 500.

Did I rip him off?

I was so sure that 500 is a lot because another day another guy drove us a full hour through Mumbai from Malabar hill to Juhu for 500.

With full empathy for the driver's probably slum living difficult circumstances, yet since sometimes enough is enough: was I right or wrong?

BR
Georg Naggies

Nick-H

I don't know Mumbai prices, but I'd say that you did not rip him off; quite the opposite!

Some drivers in India like to give the idea that they are the poorest of the poor; they are not.

__________________
.


Just one member of the IndiaMike Mod Team

birds

Last week I took a taxi from lower parel to the airport. There was a lot of traffic and it took about 45 minutes. The taxi was on the metre and asked Rs.125. I did tip him another Rs.75.

Like Nick, I would also say Rs.500 is well paid.

puchoo

im not so well versed with the distances there either but 500 sounds more than enough.

__________________
Cheers!

Sidharth

puchoo.wordpress.com

navinkurian2002

What was the reading on the taxi meter?

__________________
It doesn't interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare dream of meeting your heart's longing. Budget Hotels ]

Georg Naggies

Thanks guys!

I have Prabaker from Gregory David Robert's Shantaram before my minds eye when thinking about Mumbai taxi drivers. A totally lovable, slum living guy, the unspoken shining hero of the novel.
Therefore my idea that taxi drivers are mostly slum living.

(unfortunately, I don't remember the reading from the meter)

capt_mahajan

You may have paid him close to double of the actual fare.

__________________
.
Humpty Dumpty was pushed.
Indiamike moderating team ..ich bin ein oneliner

ananda2193

The fare from the airport to Colaba is around 350, so you didn't cheat him. He got a nice bonus from you.

When I was last there a girl staying where I was paid 350 from VT Station to Colaba. It's like a 5 minute ride.

zoltan

If you are ever in doubt about taxi fares in Bangalore; Mysore; Hyderabad; Mumbai (and the others), ask to see the "card".

The local taxi authority produce a conversion card which all drivers have handy. This lists the metered fare; the converted daytime and evening fares (because it's too expensive to keep recalibrating meters when fares increase).

Look at the meter - if it's rp40, then you go across the card to the correct column & the converted (and genuine) fare may be rp150 (I don't have the current card details handy at this point in time).

Many of the taxi drivers will try to take advantage of tourists, believing that that they don't know the real fares.

I don't have much sympathy for the drivers who try to scam their passengers. For those who do the right thing, I often give a bonus.

Cheers
Zoltan

__________________
India (and other) photos click here

Georg Naggies

I ever got ripped off worst by this ingenious Sikh rikshaw driver in Delhi with a fake conversion cards, because when I saw a printed thing and a meter reading I forgot to apply all normal plausibility checks on the fare.

They seem to beat me a lot, but with IMs help, I get better at it too :-)

mani

Mumbai the minimum fare is Rs. 13 so for a meter reading of 1 you pay 13 Rs. for 2 its 26 for 1.60 it is approx 22/-

For your ride from LTT to hyatt near the domestic airport should not be more that 150 rs. For the one near international airport should not be more that 250. so you did not pay less

It cost 350 from domestic airport to colaba.

next time ask the cabbie / auto driver for the tarriff card. Usually not tampered with in mumbai.

In delhi get an estimate of what your travel should cost from the hotel receptionist or shopkeeper and then negotiate in advance with the rickguy for a little less & for sure u will have paid a fair price.

Relax.
mani

kidsan

It is not possible to rip off a taxi driver! If he takes what you give him then he is more or less happy with it no matter what he says.

What you may actually mean is not 'did he rip me off' but 'did he rip you off for a little less than he would ideally have liked'

theyyamdancer

Our taxi driver in Mumbai, from the Domestic Airport to Colaba, charged 500 rupees, which is probably a rip-off, but the worst part was that when given a 500 note he examined it closely and said - Oh NO I can't possibly accept this, it has a tear in the corner of it!!! So we had to rush around to the hotel and find a replacement note in pristine condition. Whatever next?

capt_mahajan

I have seen Taxi conversion cards (at least for Mumbai) on the internet somewhere.

Worth carrying around.

praks

You can try here:

http://www.trafficpolicemumbai.org/N...0April-07.html