5 reasons why you should use a taxi app
Today, WhenInManila.com received a question from one our readers about the safety of taxis in Manila. According to our reader:
The question reads: “Good morning, When in Manila. Can you give me advice on what taxi company should I trust? I’ve seen a couple of good and bad taxi stories on your page but I can’t remember one name. I’m very afraid to just hail a cab on the road. I don’t know. I’ve been an almost victim of ‘nagpapa amoy taxi (I don’t know what they call it, sorry) last year, and I don’t want to experience it again. If you could help me or everyone with an article, that would be great. Thank you so much!'”
“Nagpapa amoy taxi” is a modus operandi where taxi drivers put a certain gas in the air conditioning unit to make the passenger dizzy and be immobilized.
Personally, this is a special topic because I was held up at knifepoint just a few weeks ago. I don’t take taxis and prefer to ride buses, jeeps, and trains. My job often entails me to go around Metro Manila and sometimes I stay late. One night, I was on my way home from Makati and rode the bus going from Ayala Leveriza to Baclaran. Just before going up the flyover in EDSA, three men declared a holdup. Because it was 1AM, there were only a few passengers. They only victimized a number of the commuters, and I was unfortunate enough to have been one of them. One guy threatened me with a knife and ordered me to give my bag, which had two phones, a digital camera, a pocket wifi unit, and other personal but important belongings.
Since that incident, I’ve been afraid to ride buses at night. My only option was to take a taxi, but there are also horror stories about them. A friend recommended some taxi apps, and I feel safe whenever I book a taxi from them. We highly recommend GrabTaxi, Easy Taxi, and Uber. All three are excellent choices because they are convenient and can guarantee your safety. Here are 5 reasons why you should use a taxi app:
Nothing can make you feel safer than a moose taxi from GrabTaxi
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5. You are safe
Taxi apps are great because it guarantees your safety. After the app in use finds a taxi for you, you can see the plate number, and the driver’s photo and complete name. You can even watch the cab in real time as it goes to your location. All three apps screen their drivers, so you’re assured that they all have good driving histories. GrabTaxi even allows you to rate your driver, and you can even post your trip in real time so your friends, family, and fans can keep track of your safety. It’s the perfect #artistatweet. And yes, they have the taxis with bunny ears and moose antlers!
If you want to go low-key, you can get Uber, which uses unmarked cars, or regular vehicles that don’t have the word ‘taxi’ glowing like a come-on to thieves. You can pick between the luxurious UberBlack, a Toyota Altis, a Mitsubishi Montero, and a Nissan Teana. Their base fare is a little higher but you’re sure to arrive in style. Â
Not exactly what we had in mind when we said it’s a ‘two-way win-win situation’
4. You help a taxi driver
Think of it as a two-way, win-win situation. Your taxi driver safely gets you to your destination, and you get to help him out. After all, he’s driving people for a living, so you’re supporting and helping him in his job.
We’ve all had this taxi driver
3. No one will turn you down
One of the most terrifying moments in taxi-hunting is when drivers turn you down. These are the times when you don’t want to “help a taxi driver,” especially those who say no when you tell them your destination, or worse, just speed off. This is routine for people living in far-off places, cities where taxi drivers will have a hard time finding another passenger to get them back in the city. Of course, at that point, you no longer care and just want to get home. With taxi apps, no one will make you feel unpretty and turn you down. All the taxis have a smartphone in their cars, and those closest to you will receive your alert. They then ‘bid’ for you. In high-traffic areas like Makati, there can be up to 20 taxis just waiting for you to pick them. No one demands a tip, but if you get exceptional service, make sure to tip them.
Easy Taxi also has the Driver Education Program where the drivers are trained to improve customer service skills, driving skills, and overall disposition. Not only do trips become safer, but they become more pleasant!
 Today’s taxis aren’t as convenient as the ones in The Fifth Element, but we’ll take what we can get for now
2. It’s convenient
You can request for a taxi anytime, anywhere. Even if you are in the innermost street of Makati or Manila, the drivers will use their GPS to find you. And the whole experience is super easy. All you need to do is open the app, let the GPS locate you (or type in your location to make it specific), and enter your destination. In a matter of seconds, the app finds your match, and within minutes, the taxi arrives. Ah, if finding a boyfriend is as easy.
Be so happy that it makes you sing Rebecca Black’s Friday
1. You are alive
Taxis in general are expensive. And taxi apps are even more expensive because of booking fees. GrabTaxi and Easy Taxi charge P70 on top of the meter (though Easy Taxi has a zero booking promo until October 2014), while Uber has a P90 base fare. Yes, riding jeeps and buses may be cheap, but when you consider that you may be stabbed, shot, or robbed of your Samsung Galaxy Tab4, you can’t pay enough to make sure you are safe. The most important thing is that you are alive, and there’s no price you can put on that.
In the three weeks that I have been using taxi apps, I’m slowly recovering from my incident earlier this month. I realized that there’s no point in being paranoid, but it helps that companies like GrabTaxi, Easy Taxi, and Uber are around to make me feel safe.
Do you have any tips on how to get a taxi safely in Manila? Share it in the comments below!
GrabTaxi |Â https://grabtaxi.com/manila-philippines/
Easy Taxi |Â https://www.easytaxi.com/
Uber |Â https://www.uber.com/cities/manila
5 reasons why you should use a taxi app
