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Taxi drivers at terminal 2, Beijing Capital Airport
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Tourists should be warned of taxi drivers at Terminal 2 overcharging fares: I took a taxi at 9.00pm on Friday 28 September from Terminal 2 to the King Parkview Hotel in Dongcheng, Beijing, and the driver did not put on the metre and quoted, and charged, me Y380. I understand they are required by law to use their metre and charge the metre price. The driver got round this by saying that they charge more for night driving. I am told this is absoloutely untrue and that there is no difference at all between day and night charging. I was told the correct fare for that journey should have been no more than Y120. BEWARE TOURISTS! There are some unscrupulous drivers who will rip you off.
1. A Harrowing Beijing Tour operated by Holiday World Tours of Hong Kong LUMBA from Philippines Aug 29, 2012 12:41
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1.
Oct 19, 2012 22:30 Reply
Mr.STEVE said:
I have taken a taxi from the airport to this exact same hotel several times , always at midnight , always with the TCG hotel address printout.. First time : no problem , fare by meter 90rmb . Second time "broken meter" , negotiated price , 100rmb. Third time , driver produced card stating standard fare was "300 rmb" , I walked away and got into taxi willing to switch on meter : fare 90rmb. I give these honest meter drivers a good tip for their honesty .
Now it is true that the hotel ( King Parkview) is hard to find for taxis , and twice the honest guys have had to resort to radio or mobile phone for directions .
Oct 20, 2012 21:52
Mr.6667 replied:
Bringing printed hotel address in Chinese is a good idea. Or maybe you can consult with other travelers online and know how much it costs. Then you won't be cheated by those bad drivers who ask for more money.
Oct 23, 2012 04:06
Ms.BASSETT from NZ replied:
Steve
Thank you very much for your useful comments, which I'll keep in mind for next time. I think the driver who took me for Y380 took advantage of the fact that six others had declined to take me - most probably because they couldn't understand the map, even though I had the Info Office at the airport write the name and address of the hotel in Chinese. Thank yiou again for your comments.
S M Bassett
2.
Oct 18, 2012 00:20 Reply
GUNNARF11 said:
Take a photo with cell phone of the driver ID card and you will get the right price.
If not, take another taxi, report the previous taxi'n.
Oct 20, 2012 21:54
Mr.6667 replied:
That's what you should do. The drivers are afraid of being complained because they face severe punishment.
Oct 23, 2012 04:04
Ms.BASSETT from NZ replied:
Thank you Sir, very useful information.
3.
Oct 9, 2012 05:03 Reply
Ms.BASSETT from NZ said:
Thank you for your very prompt and efficient reply.
That night I had been declined by 6 taxi drivers as either they did not know how to find the hotel or could not read the map I showed them.
Even allowing for the extra charges set out above, this journey at 9.00pm at night would not have amounted to more than CNY150 at the very most. We arrived at the hotel at 9.40pm. The following day I took a taxi from the hotel to the airport - CNY87. He used the meter. Two weeks earlier I had taken a taxi from the airport to the hotel and that was CNY120, using the meter. The Transportation Office at Terminal 2 told me the normal fare from the airport to the city Is about CNY120.
Thank you again for your prompt reply.
Oct 9, 2012 20:18
Mr.6667 replied:
Ms. Bassett,
Some drivers are honest and they really do not know where the hotel is. Thus, they decline to take you there. Some drivers just pretend that they do not know where the hotel is because they don't want to go there. If they directly refuse to take you there, you may complain them to their taxi company. As a result, they will be fined. Thus, they just say "I do not know where it is".
Did you show Chinese name of that hotel? I am afraid that many drivers can not read English. Next time you may print the hotel name and location in Chinese and then show them to the driver. Then they can understand where you are going to. If you are afraid of being declined, I offer you a suggestion: Do not ask the driver "Can you take me to XXX?". Instead, just get into the taxi and then tell him where you are going to. If he dares to let you get off, you just tell him "I will report you to your taxi company if you dare to let me get off". I guess that he will say anything but take you to your destination.
Oct 14, 2012 21:47
Mr.BASSETT from NZ replied:
Thank you for your very prompt reply, again.
I asked the Information Office at the Airport to write the name and address of the hotel in Chinese, which they did, and showed this to all six drivers who declined to take me, also to the one who did take me, so there was no excuse for not knowing where to go, except that I believe many taxi-drivers cannot read or write so this was no doubt why. My friend, who went in another direction and in another taxi, later told me she had a similar sort of problem.
Thank you again for your efficient in replying so promptly.
Oct 15, 2012 04:58
Mr.6667 replied:
Ms. Bassett,
Usually the drivers are willing to go to somewhere where traffic jam occurs, especially during the peak hour. It was 9:00 pm when you arrived. I couldn't know why they refuse to take you there. If you write the name and location in Chinese, I suppose all drivers can read it. Why don't they let you in? I can't figure it out.
Oct 18, 2012 01:06
Mr.BASSETT from NZ replied:
A hotel told me that many taxi drivers throughout China are either illiterate or semi-illiterate – ie they cannot read or write – so this is surely the reason why they wouldn’t take me – they couldn’t read the map or the hotel address written on it. I was told that much of the time the taxi drivers rely on the passenger to tell them exactly where to go.
Oct 18, 2012 01:16
Mr.DAVID from HK replied:
It's ridiculous to say most of the taxi drivers in China are illiterate as in nowadays China, it's impossible to live in the big cities without reading and writing abilities. At least, for anyone who has a driving license, he-she should attend both the writing exam and on-the-road exam, how can they pass the writing exam if they can't wtite or read? So I guess the people who told you this was just joking.
Oct 20, 2012 21:48
Mr.6667 replied:
Ms. Bassett,
Today, most taxi drivers can read and write Chinese. But not all of them can speak or read English. Sometimes, you might meet some new taxi drivers who are not familiar with the city. Then you need to direct them to your destination.
Oct 20, 2012 21:49
Mr.6667 replied:
David is right. Some drivers may pretend that they can't understand where you go because they don't go there.
4.
Oct 8, 2012 20:41 Reply
Mr.6667 said:
Taxi fare between day and night are charged a bit differently. In the daytime, the taxi flag fall is CNY10 for the first three kilometers, and it is CNY2 per kilometer for the remainder of the journey. If the journey is longer than 15 kilometers (8 miles), the charge rises to CNY3 per kilometer. From 23:00 to 05:00 the flag fall is CNY11 for the first three kilometers, and then CNY2.4 per kilometer, while CNY3.4 per kilometer for a journey over 15 kilometers (8 miles). Waiting and stationary time is charged is equivalent to 1 kilometer for each 5 minutes. A CNY2 fuel surcharge is required if the journey is over 3 kilometers.
If you find that the taxi meter wasn't put on, why not ask him to put it on? If he didn't, better get off and change another one. Or you can remember his license plate number and call 010-68351150/68351570 to complain.