Shanghai Taxi

Shanghai Taxi

In Shanghai, taxi is one of the most convenient ways for traveling.
It's quite easy to get a taxi in the street. Just wave your hand and a taxi will stop 'at any place'. Sometimes taxi drivers almost create an accident.

At the airport, both Pudong Airport and Hongqiao Airport, there is a taxi queue and a staff who manage the queue. (It doesn't mean he can guarantee if somebody cut into your line)

It's quite safe to take a taxi in Shanghai, though you should be somehow careful if taxi driver is not fooling around. Some typical fooling around is : Driving around to make the meter go up.. But it's always possible to complain and refuse to pay(when it's exagerated), whether to the taxi driver or to the company.

Meter and Raxi receipts
Each taxi is equiped with meter and printing function. The driver is always behind the transparent dock.
You can always get a taxi receipt called "Fa Piao" in Chinese. There is always useful information on the receipt.

So be sure to learn this word by heart, you will certainly need it : "FA PIAO" ( pronounced "faah peeoow" )
In Chinese, you could say "Wo yao fa piao" (wǒ yào fā piào) = I want a taxi receipt.
Here is how the 'fāpiào' (发票) looks like :

The so-called "Fa Piao" (发票)

Be sure to keep the taxi receipt each time you take a taxi.
1.It's the only way to track the taxi if you forget something in the taxi,
2.Allow you to complain to taxi company and even get reimbursed if taxi fool you around.

The most difficult time to get a taxi :
1. Raining time
2. Rush hours (7-9AM, 5-6PM)
3. When it's extremely cold in winter.

It could happens ...

• It could happen... that you have to 'forget about being polite' and fight for the taxi. I see it quite often, you wait for a taxi, even it's you who call that taxi, somebody else will get it without caring if you were there.
• It could happen...that you haven't come out from the taxi, haven't even done with paying the driver and somebody already get on the taxi...
• It could happen....that the taxi refuse to take you before he doesn't know the way.
• It could happen....that taxi drivers don't even care if you come with baby or you might need taxi more than other people. He just take any passenger who is fast enough.

So my advice, be quick & be tough sometimes..especially in Shanghai..

About the fare :
The initial fare starts from 10 RMB, and goes up according to the distance.
For the night time 23:00-05:00 , the initial fare starts from 13 RMB
The initial fare includes 3 Km distance

If you think  the taxi driver cheat you (driving around), keep the taxi receipt, you can get a Chinese friend help you to complain and ask for eventually the refund.

Example of taxi fare :
From Airport to downtown : 120 RMB - 150 RMB



Different colors, different companies
Shangha's taxis come in different colours, each company has its own color.
Blue turquois, Dark blue, Blue, Red, Bordeaux color, Yellow, White, Green, etc..

The most reputable is the blue turquoise color by Da Zhong company. So far, the best and trustable service.
The yellow coloured taxi (Qian Sheng) is also very good.

This is DaZhong taxi (大众) in Blue turquoise

A friend of mine told me that the taxis with bordeaux color (red-darkbrown) color are independent taxis.

More about Shanghai Taxi
Here is some more references about Shanghai taxi, written by Wang Jian Shuo, quite well explained
http://wangjianshuo.com/archives/taxi.htm
.
More about "fāpiào (Taxi receipt)
http://wangjianshuo.com/archives/20030801_shanghai_taxi_tickets.htm

More about taxi's colors
http://wangjianshuo.com/archives/20040816_shanghai_taxi_colors.htm

Comments

[Interpreter]

the price of taking a cab is rising again! crazy!!!!