Tip About Taxis in Quito

Thank you for this information. The orange-plate thing is new to me. I will be sure to incorporate this knowledge on my next trip. When I am there for extended stays I try and find a nearby taxi stand where the taxis are members and use them for my day time taxi adventures.

Good observations Andrellita, and thanks to Angel.

White plates or orange plates, if they do not have a meter or if it's off, ask them how much, before. That will screw them from the get go, should they have bad intent.

As a side note, I've taken taxis in bad neighbourhoods and they took really suspect roads (small streets, zigzagging alot, never going straight), but each time it was just my imagination, and they knew that traffic was bad, so they had to take different routes to take me at destination.

Taxi drivers in Quito do not like to go on certain streets because of traffic, so don't panic for nothing. 99% of them are ok.

Know where you are going, and plot the course. Sometime taxi drivers do not know how to get at certain places. You will have to tell them.

Ok, got it all yellow taxis with orange plates, Yikes so much to remember:)

I"m probably too short to see the numbers on the top though:lol:

Thank you for the tip.
Hans

Hi, the numbers on the roof match the license plate number, and are meant to make taxis easier to identify, so crime is least likely to happen in these.  Helicopters are used a lot by the police in Quito. 

Also, if you get to know the driver and you want him to pick you up at a later date, if you're on any floor other than the first, you can spot your taxi when it's waiting for you.

Great feedback on Taxi's everyone!  Thanks. 

Mike

I know of locals who now use their phones to take pictures of the cab's number/plate before they get in. I think they email it to themselves to use as evidence later and to discourage the driver from doing anything bad.

starrbitz wrote:

I know of locals who now use their phones to take pictures of the cab's number/plate before they get in. I think they email it to themselves to use as evidence later and to discourage the driver from doing anything bad.

That's a great idea, since it's an 'ounce of prevention' approach. If I get mugged/robbed/whatevered of course I want to see the bad guy get caught, but I'm much more interested in having it not happen. Taking a picture should discourage anybody with bad intentions.

In todays paper (El commercio) there is an article providing info on avoiding express kidnapping. Included is an SMS number to send the taxis 4 digit code to confirm that it is ligit. That said, the police caught some of these clowns a week or two ago.

Hello, I am coming to Quito and I need an mail of a taxi company which could get me along Ecuador. Do you have some ideea??

andrei1974 wrote:

Hello, I am coming to Quito and I need an mail of a taxi company which could get me along Ecuador. Do you have some ideea??

Hi Andrei,

I know someone who may help you. I sent a PM to you with the information.

cheers

I wouldn't worry so much about kidnapping. It's actually pretty rare. Over charging and dangerous driving should be your real concerns. Always check for a meter and request the driver turn it on if he hasn't already done so. If you find a taxi company you like and trust ask for their number so you can avoid taxi roulette and stick with the good guys. It would be great if all the licensed taxi companies followed the rules, but many of the licensed companies get away with breaking the rules at will.

I got so grilled by the Quito taxis to the point where I just quit using them and walked everywhere even if it was miles away.

I had one guy who wanted $5 for just a few minutes and under a mile. I negotiated down to like $2.50 or $3 I forgot.  Almost exactly the same with another guy.

Quito taxi drivers are a law unto themselves. My advice, don't tip these bottomfeeders who will rip you off at every opportunity especially if you can't speak Spanish or have a foreign accent. The municipality of Quito really needs to regulate taxis. I've gotten out of cabs many times because they wouldn't turn on the meter. The other thing is that they won't use the meter from Mariscal to the airport. You have to negotiate a flat rate. Also if you are going to an area outside of Quito you will also have to negotiate. They have a chart showing the prices for each area outside of Quito but fat chance of getting them to show you. Like i said, 95% of these guys are bottomfeeders.

I always ask the daytime taxistas if they are using the taximeter:  "Se usa el taximetro..."

If they're not, we typically negotiate a price.

84's decision to walk for miles instead of using a taxi -- based on two drivers he had to negotiate from $5 asked, down to $3 -- is beyond my comprehension.

I also disagree that most taxistas are "bottomfeeders."  In my experience, which is hundred of taxi rides in Quito, a large majority of the drivers are fine.  The fact that you get better nighttime rates and all-hours good service by knowing Spanish should be a surprise to no one.  Optimistic Expats are aware they get a bonus Spanish lesson each time they engage a taxista in conversation.

Yellow exterior and orange plates:  absolutely, these are excellent tells.  These days, some of the legal taxi plates are white with an orange stripe at the top.  These are good too.

Calling taxis with all-white plates "Executive," as the OP did, is an extreme euphemism IMO.  I call them "taxis de gitanos" -- gypsy cabs.  Avoid.

The minimum taxi fare is Quito is one dollar.  Doesn't matter if the meter says 65 cents. One dollar minimum.

For more taxi tips, there is a more recent Expat.com Ecuador thread titled "Bus Bits and Taxi Tips."  To navigate over there, type the thread name into the Search Expat.com box usually available at the top of this page, and then click on the search icon to the right of the box.

cccmedia in Quito

Nemesis5 wrote:

if they do not have a meter or if it's off, ask them how much, before.

The rules are totally different at night.  You're simply not going to find any taxistas (with extremely rare exceptions) who operate their taximeters after 7 p.m. in the capital.

With some drivers, asking how much before is an invitation to Gringo gouging.  I typically TELL a driver how much, and normally he agrees or we negotiate to a price within a dollar of my "oferta."  If you don't have enough experience yet to know the "adecuado" nighttime price for a particular ride, my style probably won't work for you.

cccmedia in Quito