–  Or how to avoid being waved off by a taxi

In the good old days, getting a taxi was easy. At least in
the city of Mumbai, all you had to do was flag down a passing cab and the
yellow and black or “Kaali Peeli” (as they are called locally)would slow down
and open the door. As you stepped in with your instructions of where you wanted
to go, the driver would engage the meter and voila you were on your way. There
was none of that surly questioning “ Where do you want to go?” or the need to
beg  and plead. Nor did you need to
resort to lying about your destination just so that you could be spared the
walk. This was largely because most taxis were owner driven. Today with taxis
being operated by non-owner drivers, most of the drivers are desperately trying
to meet the time deadline when their shift is about to end and with traffic
getting horrendous; they would rather skip a fare than miss the deadline. And
when taxis began refusing fares leaving commuters literally wagging their hands
to taxis speeding by, fleet taxis entered the fray. 

Private taxi operating Tourist Taxis have always been around
but these are often expensive, being operated by travel agencies, hotels or
international operators like Hertz. It was only when Fleet taxis like  Meru Cab or Tab Cab came on the scene that
commuters found it easier to move around. But when you get to a new city, which
taxi do you choose? This is crucial because one hardly has any idea of distances
and routes and runs the risk of being given the run around by taxi drivers who
instinctively spot a rookie anywhere in the world. It is at times like these
that pre-paid taxis from airports/train stations become a good option because
at least one is sure of how much you will have to fork out at the end of the
ride. For Cabs in cities outside of Mumbai, I increasingly feel it is necessary
to take a fleet taxi especially in cities where language can be a barrier.

With everyone having internet connectivity and wifi access, one
can easily fix a taxi in any of these four metros either before hand or while
in the city. Those without internet connectivity while roaming, can easily avail
of this service via phone by calling 60601010. They have an easy to use Taxi booking
Mobile appon iOs, Android and Windows Mobile phones, so that you can literally
call a taxi at your fingertips.

So the next time you want a call taxi in Chennai, or a radio taxi in Delhi,
or cabs in Hyderabad and Bangalore and wish to avoid the
higgle haggle, the unnecessary detours and the risk of a strange person driving
you around in a strange town; above all avoid the risk of being stood up
despite pre-booking!
Get on the net, book your cab and zoom off in a TaxiForSure!