Rickshaws

Now sometimes you might need to get somewhere, and your driver is too far away, or simply not available at that time. This sounds like a job for… A TAXI! 

Fortunately, the streets of India are simply full of them. You might think you haven’t seen them, that all the cars you’ve seen are simply privately owned cars, but you’d be wrong. Do you see those little lawnmower engines attached to three wheels and a bright yellow canvas? That’s what I’m talking about. 

Rickshaws are a very popular and very convenient mode of transport here, and are also quite cheap. They work like a taxi, with their little fare machine, but if you look foreign the drivers might simply ask for a fixed amount of money when you tell them where to go. Now you can choose how to react, but the simplest thing to do is to take that price and maybe haggle a bit, rather than ask them to use the meter. In the five years I’ve lived here, I’ve only ever had to use the meter once. The only situation that comes to mind where you’d best use it is for long distances. 

A last couple of tips on rickshaws: Be wary of the drivers that are parked near malls and public places, as they are the most likely to try and rip you off. Also, try to keep a small amount of change with you at all times, since they are more than happy to say they have no change themselves if it means a bigger pay.