Taxi and rideshare safety abroad: a checklist for crew

Official taxi ranks, metered or fixed fares, Grab and other apps, sharing your trip and what to watch for at the airport, from government travel advice.

The ride from the airport is the one most crew take alone, tired, in a place they don't know. Government travel advice on taxis is consistent: use the official option and tell someone where you are going.

Start at the official rank

The Government of Canada's advice for Thailand is to use licensed taxis from official taxi stands and not to share a taxi with strangers. It adds that unlicensed vehicles, which carry black and white plates in Thailand, lack the right insurance for carrying passengers. For Indonesia, it advises against hailing taxis on the street and against unmarked services. The UK Foreign Office warns of drivers who claim to be registered with app companies when they approach you on the street.

A UK council's taxi advice says not to flag down a vehicle without an illuminated taxi sign. Rules differ by country, but the advice points the same way: walk to the rank or book through an app, and turn down rides offered by people who approach you in the arrivals hall.

Metered or fixed fare

Malaysia: At airports, the UK Foreign Office says to pay with a fixed-price coupon bought at a counter in the terminal. Elsewhere, taxis should use a meter.
Indonesia: Canada advises using only a taxi company whose cars have a meter, and not entering a cab that already has passengers. The Foreign Office names registered companies such as Bluebird, Silverbird and Express and advises you to check the driver's identity.
Vietnam: Canada says to confirm the fare in advance or insist on the meter, and to check the driver's identity and plate. The Foreign Office says metered taxis from larger firms are reliable.
Japan: Fares come from the meter, except on certain fixed-rate routes to airports and major sightseeing spots. A surcharge applies between 10 pm and 5 am. Doors open and close on their own, so don't touch them. Show your destination written in Japanese. Major city taxis accept credit cards, but a countryside cab may take cash only.

Canada notes that disputes with taxi and tuk-tuk operators in Thailand have sometimes ended in violence or intimidation. If you feel threatened, ask local police to settle it.

Rideshare apps

Grab runs in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Myanmar and Cambodia. Uber, Bolt and local apps cover many other cities, and coverage differs by city, so check which apps work in your port before you land. The UK Foreign Office names Grab and XanhSM as official apps in Vietnam.

Before you get in:

Confirm the driver and car match the app. The Foreign Office adds that you should share your journey with a friend.
Book your whole journey in the app. The Foreign Office warns about scammers in Vietnam who claim to be from these companies.
Text the plate number to a crew mate, or photograph the car, as a UK council suggests.

Uber says its RideCheck feature uses GPS and sensors to spot trips that go off course, and its safety agents are available 24 hours a day.

In the car

Sit in the back seat. If you feel unsafe, ask to be let out somewhere well lit with people nearby, and do not get in at all if you have doubts. Avoid motorbike taxis: the CDC says travellers in Thailand should avoid them, and Canada says the xe om in Vietnam are not safe.

Share your trip with a crew mate. Our guide to walking alone at night in a new city covers location sharing and what to do on foot, and common scams in Southeast Asia covers the tuk-tuk detour. Save the local emergency number before you go. Our emergency numbers for crew cities lists them by country, and safety tips for solo female crew adds advice for women travelling alone.

Taxi alerts from crew

On Chocks has crew alerts, and one of the choices is an unsafe taxi or rideshare, such as an overcharge or a meter that is off. The person posting picks what happened and what kind of ride, and does not name the driver. Other crew tap Seen it too, and the alert shows the local emergency numbers and clears after about 6 hours. On Chocks is not an emergency service.