Taxis in Bali

by Barrie | March 22nd, 2011   Tweet

Getting around the tourist areas in Bali, and into the country if you wish, is easy. Taxis in Bali abound and are as easy as obtaining simply by stepping into the street and raising your hand when you see one pass by. Since there are a plethora of taxi companies in Bali selecting the right one is, believe it or not, important to a certain degree.

The reason for this is that a lot of taxis will not use the meter and prefer to bargain the price before you get into the cab. Avoid these taxis like the plague! The majoiry of tourists in Bali use the most established company, Bluebird, based in Jakarta. Bluebird has light blue colored cars and a good reputation. It doesn’t mean that you avoid all other taxis. On the contrary, if you are happy with a fixed price then go for it.

Taxis in Bali will often allow more than 4 passengers to ride, one sitting on the other’s lap. This is helpful if you don’t want to get 2 taxis. All metered taxis in Bali charge the same rate. There is a fixed flagfall and amount per kilometre.There are a few things one should know about using taxis in Bali that might be helpful. The first of course is to have plenty of change on you. Some drivers often claim not to have change, hoping you will give them to keep the difference.

Importantly, ensure the taxi driver turns on the meter and make sure the driver understands where you want to go. Also, f you know a fast way of getting somewhere then tell the driver. Some drivers will start out with no idea where you intend to go.

Other things to remember are when you are aligning from a taxi be careful of your footing as often taxis will park too close to kerbs or over holes in the sidewalk. Always get out of the cab on the passengers side and not the drivers side – doors are easily ripped off!

A Few Taxi Companies in Bali:

Bluebird (Bali Praja Transportasi) (0361)701111
Geka PT
Gelora PT
Koperasi Taksi Kowinu Bali
Koperasi Taksi Ngurah Rai
Ngurah Rai Taxi
Pan Wirthi Taxi PT
Rajawali Taxi
Ramayana
Kompi Bandara International Ngurah Rai

The Annoyance of Airport Taxis

by Barrie | November 3rd, 2010   Tweet

We all know how it works at Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport if you want a taxi. Go to the taxi counter, tell him your destination and he will give you a price and then you are ushered off to one. Alternatively, you could take your chances with one of the touts offering their services and travel by bemo or private car. However, these can be a hassle, and costly.
My bitch is that you cannot get into a taxi that has just arrived at the airport dropping off travellers. Why? Because there is a monopoly at the airport and it is tightly controlled. So, if you want to obtain a taxi without paying the sometimes exuberant charges, then you have to walk virtually out of the airport grounds and hail a taxi leaving the airport area.
I read an interesting article in the Bali Discovery about illegal taxi operations in the airports around Indonesia and although deemed illegal, the old practices still remain. Apparently, Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport is one of them. It seems, according to the article, a similar practice persists in Bali where taxis not owned by a Koperasi Taxi Ngurah Rai Bali are not allowed to pick up arriving passengers from the airport. The Bali taxis operate without meters and charge a set tariff specified destinations across Bali.