The Taxi Survival Guide (How To Not Pay More Than You Have To When Using Taxis)

Recently a news report came out about some taxis at the airport charging exorbitant rates to arriving passengers. Normally, the alternative would be to use an Uber or Grab car instead, but with the recent government-mandated caps on surge prices, it's increasingly difficult to book an Uber, at least for now.

So here are some tips that you can use to minimize what you have to pay when trying to get around Metro Manila in a taxi. This assumes that for one reason or another, a bus or jeep is not an option.

1. Carpool part of the way.

Let's say you and a couple of friends are coming from Quezon City and you live in Paranaque. One of your friends lives in Makati and also has a car. You can hitch a ride with him until Makati and then take a cab the rest of the way back home. It's cheaper than taking a cab or even an Uber all the way from Quezon City.

Of course, the best case scenario is if you can carpool the whole way, then just put in your share for gas or toll fees and you should be good.

2. Share the ride.

If you and a couple of friends are heading to the same destination or the same general direction, it helps to share the cab ride with them and then divide the cost. Some taxi drivers don't like taking in groups, so an old tactic is for just one person to flag down the cab and when the cab driver agrees, the rest of the group comes out to ride.

3. If you're an arriving passenger, call a friend.

If you're at the airport, it's better to arrange in advance for a relative or friend to pick you up. If you don't have a lot of luggage, you can use the airport shuttle bus and then take a cab from your drop off point.

4. Choose where to get a cab.

Generally, it's better to get a cab at the mall. Yes, the lines may be long but the drivers are forced to be more honest and not be too picky since there's a mall guard to jot down the cab's details.

After mall hours you can usually find cabs parked near call centers since tired agents coming off shift late at night or early morning tend to just use a cab. Just note that drivers might haggle for a higher fare if you live far enough.

Hotels and big hospitals are other places where a lot of cabs pass by and they are relatively safe because the premises are well lit.

5. Insist on using the meter.

Taxis really should be using the meter as a matter of course, but in case it's traffic or the destination is far, the driver is going to insist on an agreed upon price. Don't just give in. In cases like that, I insist on using the meter then I tell the driver I'll just add something to the amount. Yes, it's not ideal but it's still cheaper than an arbitrary fixed price.

In Conclusion

As a commuter, you will be at a disadvantage when it's raining hard, it's late at night and/or there is little to no public transport where you're coming from or going to. But hopefully these tips will still help you manage your budget better when trying to use Metro Manila taxis.