Doesn’t matter if you are black or white

MiD DAY put our cabbies to the honesty test to find if foreigners are taken for a ride. Urvashi Seth and Huma Sayed report

Doesn't matter if you are black or white

MiD DAY put our cabbies to the honesty test to find if foreigners are taken for a ride. Urvashi Seth and Huma Sayed report

38,000 The number of cases registered by the GRP against taxi drivers for overcharging passengers in 2008

29,000 The number of cases registered against cabbies in 2009

Rs 32 lakh The amount collected as fine by GRP from cheating taxi drivers in 2008

Rs 26 lakh The amount collected as fine this year

Not cheated
J Brandon Hill (35)u00a0 American, actor
Destination: Hotel Hyatt Regency near International Airport to Trident Hotel, Nariman Point
Time taken: 1 hour
Amount paid: Rs 534 (Meter: Rs 484 + BWSL toll Rs 50)
I sat in the Cool Cab at 1.50 pm and asked the driver to switch on the AC. The car had hardly travelled some distance, when the cabbie stopped to have a chat with an autorickshaw driver. Unaware that I understood Hindi, the rickshawala told my driver to charge me Rs 550 for the ride. When the cabbie told me the rate for the journey, I told him I'll pay only by the meter, as is the norm in my country. He agreed and even asked me the route we should take. I told him he was free to take the route he liked. We travelled by the Bandra-Worli Sea Link (BWSL) and reached the hotel at 2.50 pm. My journey was fantastic.

Cheated
Huma Sayed MiD DAY reporter
Destination: Hotel Hyatt Regency near International Airport to Trident Hotel, Nariman Point
Time taken: 1 hour
Amount paid: Rs 600 (Meter: Rs 550 + BWSL tollu00a0 Rs 50)
I took a cab at 1.55 pm and asked him to turn on the AC. He said he'd do it only if I paid
Rs 550 for the journey. I protested and asked him the rate if we went by the meter. "Madam, tab to sirf Rs 350 lagega," he replied. When I asked him the reason for charging me more, he said, "Arre, aap naye ho Mumbai main. Aapko garmi nahin jachegi. AC ki zaroorat hai aur uska extra charges lagega." As we drove on the BWSL, the driver kept telling me about various places in the city as if he was a tourist guide.
At the end of our journey, he gave me his visiting card in case I wanted to hire his cab again! Hah! Fat chance, the cheat!

Cheated
Anne Henriksson (26) Swedish, Career Consultant
Destination: Hotel Hyatt Regency near International Airport to Taj Mahal Palace & Tower Hotel, Colaba
Time taken: 2 hours
Amount paid: Rs 975 (Meter: Rs 850 + BWSL toll Rs 75 + Tip Rs 50)
This is my first visit to Mumbai and I had an unbelievable experience. The cabbie told me the rate for the journey will be Rs 600. He was very inquisitive and asked me whether it was my first visit to Mumbai, the country I belonged to and if I was married. He also asked if we should travel by the BWSL. I was confused, but agreed. At the BWSL, he asked me to pay Rs 75. Once we reached Taj, he told me the fare was Rs 850.
I did not ask him why he had just upped his fare, and gave him Rs 900. He said he didn't have change and asked if he could keep Rs 50 as tip. I'm completely turned off.

Cheated
Urvashi Seth MiD DAY reporter
Destination: Hotel Hyatt Regency near International Airport to Taj Mahal Palace & Tower Hotel, Colaba
Time taken: 2 hours
Amount paid: Rs 795 (Meter: Rs 720 + BWSL toll Rs 75)
The driver did not quote a fare when I boarded the cab. He asked me whether we should take the BWSL or take a longer route. Since I opted for the Sea Link, he took Rs 75 from me for the return pass. When I asked him why he didn't take a one-way pass that costs Rs 50, he promised to return Rs 25. We reached the hotel at the same time as Anne. The drivers knew each other. I asked the driver how much his friend had charged the foreigner. He said, "The same amount." He also told me to pay what I wanted since I did not have change. He cheated us and did not even return the Rs 25 that he had promised.

The Other Side

A L Quadros, general secretary, Mumbai Taximen's Union, said, "We had received several complaints of tourists being cheated by taxi drivers at airports.

So, we introduced prepaid taxis at the domestic airport, which got a good response from passengers. However, in case a passenger is cheated, he/she can complain to the union office or to the RTO.

We will ensure that strict action is taken against such drivers." Quadros had rallied against private cabs that were allowed to work as pre-paid taxis at the domestic airport.