Tourists who do not like public transport or cannot afford rental cars hire a taxi for going from one place to another in a foreign country. Although, taxi is a safe and convenient mode of transportation in the world it does not mean that all taxi hire companies providing taxi services are reliable and trustworthy. Some fraudulent taxi service providers attract travellers in the name of cheap taxi service and then defraud them. If you take some precautionary measures, then you can safely and hassle-freely travel from one place to another alone in a taxi in a foreign country. This blog highlights some useful tips to stay safe when travelling alone in a taxi in a foreign country.
Don’t hail a taxi on the street rather book a taxi in advance
Booking a taxi in advance to pick you up at a specific time from a particular location is better than hailing a taxi on the street. You can online book taxi for a licensed taxi service provider, or you can call one to book a taxi. After booking a taxi, save the details such as the name and phone number of the driver and the number, model, colour and name of your hired car on your mobile phone. When the taxi arrives to pick you up from your location, make sure before sitting in the tax that it is the same taxi that you have ordered.
Confirm whether you have to pay a fixed fare or metered fare when booking a taxi
When booking a taxi, you should always ask from your chosen taxi hire company that how much the trip will cost you. Apart from this, you should also confirm whether you have to pay a fixed fare or metered fare. After sitting in the taxi, you should tell your taxi driver that you know how much fare you will have to pay at the end of the ride so that he does not think of charging you a higher fare.
Share details of your booked taxi and driver with a friend/family member
When you are travelling alone in a taxi in a foreign country at late night or early morning, you should always share details of your booked car and taxi driver, and your drop off time with a friend or family member who can track whether you have reached your destination safely or not.
Don’t share your taxi with a stranger
Undoubtedly, sharing a ride with others will save your money, but if you are travelling alone in a taxi in a foreign country, then you should avoid sharing your hired taxi with strangers. Allowing a stranger to share your ride will be a security risk for you. It can be possible that person with whom you are sharing your taxi have ulterior motives that you don’t know.
Use GPS or Map while sitting in a taxi
If you are not familiar with the areas and routes of the city you are visiting, then you should use a GPS or map while sitting in a taxi. With the help of GPS or Map, you can know whether the driver is taking the right turns and following the correct routes or not.
Keep yourself awake in the taxi even if you are tired
Whether you are tired or drunk don’t sleep in the taxi if you are alone.
Keep your expensive items close to you & out of the sight of the taxi driver
You should always keep your expensive items such as mobile phone, laptop, tablet, etc. close to you and out of the sight of the taxi driver if you are travelling alone in a taxi in a foreign country.
