Urban Transportation

Hiring a Rickshaw
Hiring a rickshaw for a decent value can take practice and composure. Most rickshaws contain a small meter box that will measure your route in both kilometres and rupees. This is utterly useless. Ninety-nine percent of the time rickshaw drivers will lie, claiming the meter box is broken. This is obviously because they want to charge more than the actual price. Just remember: never offer more than half of the asking price and always negotiate a price before you leave. If you have not negotiated an appropriate price, the rickshaw driver has every right to charge more then he should at the destination.

Here’s a story. . .
“I was hiring a rickshaw driver outside of Vasant Kunj, Delhi and was heading towards New Friends Colony, Delhi. The rickshaw driver had requested a price of 150/-RS (about $4 US). I had taken this route several times and knew that a fair and reasonable price was 70/-RS. The driver was honest and had told me that because I am a foreigner and have more money than he could ever dream of, it was my responsibility and obligation to pay a higher fare. In the end, I ended up paying my 70/-RS.” Just remember – Be Firm!

Hiring a Taxi
When hiring a taxi, usually the best deals are found through the places you are staying such as your hotel, hostel, or guest house. By booking a taxi through your residence, you save the hassle of bartering as well the language barrier. You will be given the option of either hiring a taxi for one way which will cost anywhere from 200/-RS. to 300/-RS. ($5 - $8US) or hire a car and driver for the day. For this particular option, you could expect to pay about $50/day with the car and driver. This option is great because it saves so much hassle.