Cebu Taxis

[Explorer1004]

I had few good experiences with white taxu picking me up at airport to bring me downtown. Usually be polite, then ask them soon after departure how much they would take to go to moalboal or malapascua (big trips for them) and to give me their business card for a confirmation later.

Doesn't mean I going to use them, as bus are cheaper, but the expectation of a long journey make them be careful not to rip you off this time.

There is this blue non stop bus that will take you to SM City Cebu for 25 pesos.

[Dg8787]

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/manila/loc...re-hike-567667

No real increase to foreigners as the flag down always stated 40 pesos. Most locals knew to ask for 10 pesos as they knew the flag down rate had been rolled back to 30 pesos. So it is back up to 40. Bfd.

[Buko Max]

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/manila/loc...re-hike-567667

[Bab Com]

I had few good experiences with white taxu picking me up at airport to bring me downtown. Usually be polite, then ask them soon after departure how much they would take to go to moalboal or malapascua (big trips for them) and to give me their business card for a confirmation later.

Doesn't mean I going to use them, as bus are cheaper, but the expectation of a long journey make them be careful not to rip you off this time.

[Wicked Roger]

RK,

If all else fails, maybe you could retire and become an Uber or Grab driver / trainer? Passengers would trust you implicitly, as you would know all the best routes in Cebu and Metro Manila.

LOL, mate!

OM.

RK would all the best and fastest route route to Sogos in Manila am sure and that information is priceless to some mongers LOL.

[GoodEnough]

Cebu taxi drivers ripping off passengers is rare as Ms A says. The one time it happened was because I knew the route and he somehow concocted a much slower one so I pointed out I live in Cebu etc and suddenly he changed the route.

As for the short cuts. I know what you mean but these are legit and there are a few as Mandaue is a dogs breakfast as traffic goes so am happy he thinks that way despite passing a few slums etc.

Just as an aside, if you have Waze on your phone, it's easy to search for alternative routes whether or not you know the city. I've done this in Cebu, where I don't know my way around very well, and it works fine with the drivers who are compliant.

GE.

[Omega 3]

An escalating problem is the way that Uber and Grab are attracting investors who are buying new cars and recruiting anyone and everyone to drive their taxis.

These guys have no idea of the "best" way to get somewhere and they use those apps with the voice and screen directions and they follow the directions carefully.

My last trip I found we were going the very worst and busiest route and so I told the driver to turn off his app, keep the destination ij his phone and follow my instructions.

He was reluctant to do it but we reached the destination with minimum fuss.

RK,

If all else fails, maybe you could retire and become an Uber or Grab driver / trainer? Passengers would trust you implicitly, as you would know all the best routes in Cebu and Metro Manila.

LOL, mate!

OM.

[Red Kilt]

Cebu taxi drivers ripping off passengers is rare as Ms A says. The one time it happened was because I knew the route and he somehow concocted a much slower one so I pointed out I live in Cebu etc and suddenly he changed the route.

As for the short cuts. I know what you mean but these are legit and there are a few as Mandaue is a dogs breakfast as traffic goes so am happy he thinks that way despite passing a few slums etc.

An escalating problem is the way that Uber and Grab are attracting investors who are buying new cars and recruiting anyone and everyone to drive their taxis.

These guys have no idea of the "best" way to get somewhere and they use those apps with the voice and screen directions and they follow the directions carefully.

My last trip I found we were going the very worst and busiest route and so I told the driver to turn off his app, keep the destination ij his phone and follow my instructions.

He was reluctant to do it but we reached the destination with minimum fuss.

[Wicked Roger]

Agree. I rarely have Cebu taxi drivers refuse to use the meter. I had a dream last year that I was hijacked by a taxi driver. It was a left hand drive car and an Asian driver (as distinct from Australia where I live which is right hand drive cars). Strange things dreams. So I am always a bit on edge nowadays. Sometimes taxi drivers take odd routes to / from Mactan airport to bypass the Mandaue traffic (like deep into the port area where there is quite a large slum near a river). Never convinced these side routes are faster but just puts me more on edge because I don't know where I am.

Cebu taxi drivers ripping off passengers is rare as Ms A says. The one time it happened was because I knew the route and he somehow concocted a much slower one so I pointed out I live in Cebu etc and suddenly he changed the route.

As for the short cuts. I know what you mean but these are legit and there are a few as Mandaue is a dogs breakfast as traffic goes so am happy he thinks that way despite passing a few slums etc.

[Ms Account]

In general Cebu taxi drivers are better than Manila or Angeles (trikes) drivers. Davao better than Cebu. That's the way I find it, any way.

Agree. I rarely have Cebu taxi drivers refuse to use the meter. I had a dream last year that I was hijacked by a taxi driver. It was a left hand drive car and an Asian driver (as distinct from Australia where I live which is right hand drive cars). Strange things dreams. So I am always a bit on edge nowadays. Sometimes taxi drivers take odd routes to / from Mactan airport to bypass the Mandaue traffic (like deep into the port area where there is quite a large slum near a river). Never convinced these side routes are faster but just puts me more on edge because I don't know where I am.

[Dg8787]

I have had two recent taxi trips where I dropped off someone on the way to where I was going. Each time the taxi driver claimed I had to pay an extra 40 P flagfall. Not that is a big issue 40 p. Is this normal practice?

Yep. It is normal.

[Sxxxx]

I have had two recent taxi trips where I dropped off someone on the way to where I was going. Each time the taxi driver claimed I had to pay an extra 40 P flagfall. Not that is a big issue 40 p. Is this normal practice?

Once upon a time I had a substantial investment in the taxi business, not Phils of course. Being a taxi driver is no easy way to make money, especially in traffic jam cities like Cebu. Because of my inside knowledge and sympathy for those drivers I would pay the two fares, yes. It is two passengers going to two different destinations. Taxis are rented out to drivers on a 24 HR basis, hence the driver has little or no sleep during that period. He provides the gasoline used and cost of accidents if any, plus the daily rent. I tip all decent taxi drivers, around P10 to P20. Dishonest taxi drivers, I take their details and tell them I will report them to authorities. No tip then. Hot meter guys I direct to the nearest Police station and sort it out, LOL.

In general Cebu taxi drivers are better than Manila or Angeles (trikes) drivers. Davao better than Cebu. That's the way I find it, any way.

I think if you say "good morning" or "good afternoon / evening" when you enter the car it gets things off to a good start. Lots of arrogant foreigners in the Phils, who auto talk down to taxi drivers, LOL.

[Ms Account]

I have had two recent taxi trips where I dropped off someone on the way to where I was going. Each time the taxi driver claimed I had to pay an extra 40 P flagfall. Not that is a big issue 40 p. Is this normal practice?

[Mua Tur]

The other day, decided to take the regular white cab from Mactan airport. The white cab queue was not too long, and moving rapidly. I noticed two small groups of young Koreans across the way, in the yellow cab queue, waiting for a yellow cab.

As I got into my white cab a few minutes later, saw that the first group of Koreans was getting into a yellow cab which had just pulled up, but the second group was still waiting. Unusual that there was a scarcity of yellow cabs, and that the yellow cab queue was moving more slowly than the white cab queue.

That may happen once in a several days. In my 5 visits in Mactan I never seen Yellow cab line is slower than White cab line.

I can remember last January I arrived Cebu from Davao at 8. 00 Pm. My girl was waiting for me in front of JoleeBee at Arrival Hall. Even my girl show me the White Cab line Que with her smile but I ignore. My burning desire pulled me to ran to the yellow cab stand. Just to make our quicker arrival to my apartment room. Even I knew the Yellow Cab meter price is higher than White Cab. To find out my apartment location the driver used his car GPS. He was ignoring my advice to call my apartment owner to figure up the location instead of rounding same place again and again. Finally I just stop him with big shout and we dropped off at Fuenta Osmania circle. Later the apartment owner pick us and it was just on a walking distance.

My route was not quite the same as before, and traffic was much lighter, as it was a holiday, but my white cab fare from Mactan airport to Marco Polo Plaza was just under P 220.

Back to sanity.

OM.

I paid that night 500+php from mactan to Fuento Osmania Circle. The ripping made out just the cabby made rounding and rounding in same place just for following his fucking GPS.

[Omega 3]

Have to agree that the Yellow Cabs are a ripoff but have the advantage of no queue and always available. My last trip to MP I was in the white queue, saw a M / F tourist couple get into a Yellow. Eventually I get a cab, go to MP, check in and as I head to the room they are just arriving in Yellow. Didn't spoil their day and just let it go.

I have been using Grab too. In AC the price is comparable to a trike. So instead of sitting at road level in a trike and dealing with the trike drivers, can sit in aircon comfort with a known fixed fare. I still usually tip P20-P30 on top of the Grab fare.

The other day, decided to take the regular white cab from Mactan airport. The white cab queue was not too long, and moving rapidly. I noticed two small groups of young Koreans across the way, in the yellow cab queue, waiting for a yellow cab.

As I got into my white cab a few minutes later, saw that the first group of Koreans was getting into a yellow cab which had just pulled up, but the second group was still waiting. Unusual that there was a scarcity of yellow cabs, and that the yellow cab queue was moving more slowly than the white cab queue.

My route was not quite the same as before, and traffic was much lighter, as it was a holiday, but my white cab fare from Mactan airport to Marco Polo Plaza was just under P 220.

Back to sanity.

OM.