Safe Taxis in the Philippines? Safety tips for riding in cabs.
These tips apply whatever country you are in.
1. Do not ride in taxis that do not have meters!
2. Always tell the driver you expect him to use the meter. If he won't then don't get in the cab.
3. Always make sure that the meter is reset before you depart. If he does not reset it, get out and get another cab.
4. Never get in a Philippine taxi that has anyone else in it. Only ride in a taxi that has no other passengers. The others could be robbers.
5. Check and see if the cab number is painted on the interior window sills. If it is not, do not ride in that cab (text the company name and taxi number to a friend or relative as a safety precaution).
6. Check and see that there are inside handles on all doors and that there is a visible door lock.knob.
7. Actually try locking and pulling the door handle as if opening it before getting in the cab. Then keep the windows up and doors locked. Ask the driver to lock the front doors.
8. If a driver suggest that he take a shortcut tell him no, unless you are familiar with the area.
9. If the driver drives like a maniac ask him to drive safely or tell him you want to go down at the next corner. Most taxis do not have seat belts for your safety. After one ride with a driver like that I realized why it is so dangerous to ride on motorcycles in the Philippines. The driver was inches from one he passed and tailgated very close to another at high speed.
10. Look to see if there are seat belts for the rear seat. If not you may want to find a different taxi. Usually only the newest ones will have safety belts. Many times you may need to ride in taxis without seat belts or wait a long time to find one with them.
11. At bus stations there may be a car or two, parked inside the bus area, offering taxi service. I have been approached by drivers but the cars had no signs on them. I suggest you never get in one of them. Better to go out on the street and hail a taxi. There will be young guys who will offer to hail a cab for you. They will expect a small tip (maybe 20 pesos). It is worth it. Then ask to be sure the driver will use the meter. If he ask if you can add an extra 30 to 50 pesos just say yes and give it to him when you pay. It's a hard job and I think they really earn it.
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| Taxis in the Philippines. We prefer MGE taxis. |
MGE and Yellow Cab are two companies which are permitted to pick up at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). Yellow cab has an added fee plus higher rates no matter where your service starts. Jeepneys, tricycles and pedicabs are not permitted at the international airport If you want to ride a jeepney ask a guard if you can get on a jeepney by walking to the entrance to the airport.
Riding in an air conditioned taxi, at sunset in Paranaque City, Metro Manila.
Hailing A Taxi
Try to hail a cab in the city center of Manila, they will NOT stop. Near the Ayala train station where Glorietta Mall, Landmark Department Store and SM Ayala Mall are, you MUST wait in line at taxi stands, without exception, and in the evening when many are leaving the malls you may wait up to 45 minutes for your turn to get in a cab. These taxi stands are monitored by security guards, they will note the ID number of the taxi on a slip of paper and hand it to you. This is for your security, you can call a trusted friend and notify them which cab you are in so in the event you are hijacked they can report it to the authorities. And it probably discourages drivers from trying anything funny.
The taxi ID letters and numbers should be painted on both window sills inside the rear and front seat areas.
If the ID is not visible do not ride in that cab. Whenever you ride in a taxi be sure to text someone you know with the ID and tell them where you are riding to and from.
MGE and Yellow cabs are probably the newest and best cabs to ride in. And, they are the ones most likely to have seat belts.
However, we have ridden in cabs of many different companies.
About taxi drivers in the Philippines
It is common for driver's to ask foreigners to include 50 pesos extra. When I was new to the Philippines I refused. But, after some time there I began to realize just how hard it is to make a living as a taxi driver, so I started agreeing to the extra fee.
If you get a driver who has a nice newer taxi it might be a good idea to get his cell phone number and call 1/2 hour ahead of time whenever you need a taxi ride. Be sure to ask what days her works this week. He will pick you up. We had an MGE driver who would take us to the hospital and pick us up when we were ready to leave. He also waited for us as we shopped along a street and moved the cab to be near us as we walked down the street. He then helped us load things we had purchased. It is great to have a personal "driver". Our driver, who said he was a former police officer, told us that MGE tests its drivers regularly for drug use.
TIRED DRIVERS
Driver's work 24 hour shifts and have days off. They sleep on and off in the cab during their shift.
Once we rode in the next Yellow Cab that was in line at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
I was told by the "dispatcher" at the taxi booth that our driver would be wide awake because he would have been sleeping in his cab until he got in the taxi line near the terminal doors.
Well, he was not very wide awake. We left the airport at about 11 p.m. to go to Angeles City. During the 40 kilometer trip on the NLEX (an expressway) the driver showed signs of being tired. Several times he took both hands off the wheel, removed his eyeglasses and rubbed his eyes with one hand while holding his glasses in the other. Not something that inspires confidence in the Yellow Cab company or any company whose drivers work 24 hour shifts. Fortunately the speed limit is only 100 km per hour or about 62 miles per hour for cars and jeepneys on the Expressway between the airport and Angeles City. The speed limit for trucks and buses is 80 kph or about 50 mph. However, I have been in many buses which have been driven faster than the cars. Some bus drivers drive like they are in sports cars. They get paid by how many passengers they have carried during their shifts.
I advise you, if you will be traveling far, to stay in a hotel and travel by taxi in the daytime. The same advise applies to traveling by bus.
Driver's must pay a "boundary"; in a sense they rent the cab and then try to make enough money to pay their boundary and still make a day's living. The last I heard the taxi boundary was about 1,500 pesos for a 24 hour period of time. They often sleep in their cab between fares.
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| A taxi as seen from our taxi on bridge in Cagayan de Oro, on the island of Mindanao. |
Another factor about driving as a foreigner in the Philippines is that you may be a target of some. You are perceived as being "rich" here. Pedestrians and other drivers may see you as an opportunity to make money. If you are involved in an "accident" it is very possible that you will end up paying much more than would a Filipino. Many foreigners hire a driver or, if married, will let their Filipino spouse drive.
Check out this other site featuring more information about Taxis in Manila.
Most taxis do not have seat belts. There is a good chance the newest taxis will have seat belts. Yellow cab and MGE often have seat belts. I use Yellow Cab or MGE when I arrive at the airport.
See information about tipping in the Philippines.
It is from an article "A Guide To Tipping Around The World" at Conde Nast Traveler. Here it is...
"PHILIPPINES
At Restaurants: Check the bill–a 10 percent service charge may be included, in which case you might leave an extra $1 or $2. If it's not included, leave a 10 percent tip or a bit more.
At Hotels: A 10 percent service charge is usually included, but you should still give porters 50 cents to $1 per bag. Tip cleaning staff only if you see them or if you leave it in a clearly marked envelope, says Filipino-American Alex Clemente of San Francisco's Rajah Tours. "Filipinos are not going to pick up money that's left behind," he says. If a concierge goes out of his way to secure you good tickets or reservations, tip him $4 to $5.
Guides and Drivers: Guides get $20 to $50 a day, says Clemente, and drivers about $4 to $5. Tip taxi drivers about 10 percent.
Dollars Accepted? Yes! "If you tip in dollars, they will love you forever," says Clemente, "because it's considered better-quality money" than the Filipino peso.
P.S. "If you get stopped by the police, stick 200 pesos (about $4) in your I.D.," says Clemente–and he is only half joking. Men in blue uniforms who often help you park your car should get 10 to 20 pesos–about 20 to 50 cents."
For foreigners and especially for Filipino taxi riders; report bad experiences you have in taxis to the authorities.
Use this International Taxi Fare Calculator or use this Manila Taxi Fare Calculator. Select your own currency then enter your departure point and destination and you can view the fare in your own currency. I have preset it to the U.S. dollar. I advise you to read comments below the calculator.
If you have bad experiences riding in taxicabs in the Philippines please share with other readers by commenting below.
Riding in trains in the Philippines.
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This article will be expanded upon. It is not an endorsement of MGE taxi service. Check back to read more about taxi fares, taxis, taxicabs, or cabs in the Philippines. Last updated Aug. 3, 2015.
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