There are different licensed taxis, black unlicensed and ‘Uber-type’ operators in the Czech Republic. Some are quite honest but some of them engage in sharp practices. They use several means to cheat unsuspecting tourists. They overcharge visitors, and some even go as far as passing through a longer route to charge more when they could have gone by a shorter route, adjusting the taximeter to ‘turbo’ to run faster, or simply not turning the meter on and demanding a higher fare.
Many visitors find using alternative companies like Uber for shorter city rides or private airport transfers companies much safer, rather than risking taking taxis from less respected companies. Even though Uber and other shared ride companies don’t comply with local laws, they are safe and customer-friendly. For customers with luggage or travelling from or to the airport or train station, Prague Airport Transfers sro is the best choice.
Another problem with Prague taxis is timeliness. Some of them usually arrive late which could be dangerous, especially when a visitor arrives in the night or needs a transfer to the airport or train station. Some of these taxi operators are very corrupt if you just flag them on the street, so you need to be very careful with them.
To avoid falling into any of these situations, there are a few tips below. Once you arm yourself with all these tips, it will be difficult for you to be cheated.
Another tip is to ensure that any taxi you want to take is a registered one. They usually have a yellow roof lamp permanently installed and they have the word “Taxi” boldly written on both sides of the car in black letters. Apart from that, the name of the company that operates it is also written too. You can also see the rates and the licence written on the front doors. Isn’t that transparent enough?
You might need to write down the company name and the license number in case of necessity. It is advisable to write the information down when the driver is watching. There is a reason for that. If he complains or objects to it, then don’t take the taxi. It is a sign that he is not 100 percent honest. Remember, writing the rate on the body does not mean that he can’t take you by a longer route to make you pay more. It is just that such a situation is less likely with registered, respected taxi companies.
Another reason to let him see you is that it sometimes makes a driver be at his best. They usually discard their ulterior agenda when they see that you have taken down all their information.
To avoid argument, it is advisable to ask exactly how much the trip will cost and if the price is right, you can pay in advance. Not only that, you can search online before you even come over. You can browse to have an idea of how much it will likely cost to travel by taxi from that particular station or airport to your destination. You can get a good estimate online. So, when the taxi gives you a figure that is much higher, you know what to do.
You could let him know the price you got. When you tell him that you were told that it costs around a certain amount to take a taxi, he will reduce his figure if he had earlier planned to cheat you. However, this idea can also be counter-productive. Sometimes if the real fare is a little lower than what you have in mind, he will just accept your own figure. After all, you came up with the figure.
When the car begins to move, you need to pay attention to the taximeter. You need to be sure that it corresponds to the rates written on the body of the car. If it does not correspond, the chances are that the rate of the taximeter is higher than that of the car. When you discover this, you should get him to stop the car immediately.
Once you discover this, you have the right to disembark without paying a dime. But some drivers may want to push their luck with you by asking you to pay for the distance already covered. You need to counter that argument by telling him to take you back to the exact location he picked you up from. To avoid this kind of argument, it is better to check the taximeter immediately the car begins to move.
You must always ask for a receipt even if you don’t need it for anything; it will confirm that you have not been short-changed. This is because a taxi that has cheated you is often unwilling to issue a receipt. Some of them will tell you that their printing machine just packed up or it just ran out of paper. And some will say straight to your face that they will not issue a receipt. At this point, you should also make it very clear that without a receipt you are not paying a dime. He will issue a receipt and sometimes issue a receipt for the right fare. If the amount on the receipt is lower than what he had charged earlier, it means he would have cheated you. You don’t need to waste your time arguing with him. Just pay the amount on the receipt and leave.
The value of one dollar and one pound is much higher than the value of one CZK. But some of these taxis do not want you to know. They often make you believe that the fare is the same whether you pay it in dollars, pounds or CZK. This is why you should always find out the current exchange rate at the point of your arrival or even before the trip at all.
