Dear Reina,
On behalf of my family and myself I would like to thank you and your people who made our trip to Beijing so memorable. Your last minute help in arranging our private tour and the tour itself were fabulous. Our guide and driver were wonderful and enhanced our experience of your fascinating city enormously. We brought away many happy memories from our trip which we will cherish for a long time to come. Even my 2 and 4 year old children enjoyed the sightseeing. Our guide, Michael, was particularly patient and kind with them and I appreciate this greatly. This was our first private tour and is definitely the way to see a big city when travelling with family. I have already recommended you to some friends who will be in Beijing next week so you may hear from them and I will have no hesitation in recommending you to others visiting Beijing also.
Thank you once again and keep up the good work.
Yours sincerely,
Donna Wakeling, USA
Taxi quantity in Beijing:
Beijing currently has three million motor vehicles, of which about legitimate cab 67,000, illegal taxis (commonly known as "black car") of up to 72,000. Current legal car models:
Major: Sonata, Jetta, the red flag, China, Elys¨Ĥe, Santana 3000.
Taxi charges:
Comprehensive Price: price = starting price (RMB 10 yuan) + (mileage - starting miles (3 km)) * priced per kilometer (2 RMB yuan)
Remote Area: price = starting price (RMB10 yuan) + (long-distance mileage standards (15 km) - start a few miles (3 km)) * + price per kilometer (mile - Long Distance standards (15 km)) * Remote unit price per kilometer (RMB 3 yuan)
Taxi call in Beijing:
Tel: 96103 For taxi complaints:
Tel: 68351150. Taxi Meters and driver ID:
Every Beijing cab has a meter. On the top of the meters is a big lever to start and stop it. When the meter is turned off, the "For Hire" sign will appears in the window. It is a small red sign, which lights up at night easily to be seen.
When you enter the taxi and tell the driver where you are going, the driver should drop the lever, so other potential customers can see the cab is already occupied. Once the lever has been put down and removed from the window, the meter should then start.
At this time, the 10.00 RMB price should appear in the meter, 11.00 RMB late at night starting 11 pm. This price will take you 3 km distance in Beijing, then the price will steadily increase per km.
On the dashboard on the passenger side is a placard with the drivers registration number. If this placard is missing then avoid it. So every official taxi should have his license prominently displayed in the front of the cab facing the front passenger seat. If your taxi has no license displayed, we suggest you find a different taxi.
On the dashboard on the passenger side is a placard with the drivers registration number
How to identify black taxi, counterfeit taxi cab and cloning?
To identify these counterfeit taxi, the key is to look at the vehicle registration number. Beijing legitimate taxi license plates starts with "Beijing B". If the taxi has the license plate of "Beijing E", or "Beijing " and non 'Beijing B' license plates, then there is no doubt that the cab is a black car. Fake Cloning "Beijing B" brand of taxis in the night
have no taxi light. "If you have wrongly taken a cloned car ", you must request invoices! You can tell it is a cloned car from its invoice if he gives you a handwritten invoices instead of a computerized one.
What are the places most upset with the black cars?
Black cars could be found around the subway stations, shopping malls, the entrance area and also some major tourist attractions around. The most serious areas are the railway station and Beijing Capital Airport. Especially you should pay great attention to the Beijing aiport. When arriving at the airport, keep away from drivers who approach you in the terminal or outside the terminal as they will ask for much more than the actual price. There is a taxi line just outside the terminal. Drivers should use their meter; make sure that the driver puts down the flag. Taking a taxi from the airport to Beijing downtown costs between RMB 100 and 200 according to the different distance. Beijing airport expressway toll will be paid by passengers. Beijing legitimate taxi license plates will be for the "Beijing B" otherwise it is a black taxi! After paying a legal taxi, you will get a legal computerized receipt in which you can find the taxi company's phone number while a black driver only offers you a hand-written receipt with which you will never find him! A black driver would charge you RMB 400 - RMB 500 for the airport downtown drive.
Preparing for 2008 Games
The 2008 Games is coming. All the cab drivers are encouraged to learn English. Recently there is a new massage from Beijing city administrators to taxi drivers to smarten up the cab industry with the coming the games. The city bureau has devised a 12-item evaluation chart for cab services. Just name some of the items as follows:
Cab drivers are not allowed to smoke while driving, overcharge, spit or litter. They are requested to dress neatly and cleanly. They should be friendly and polite. Taxi drivers who refuse to use taximeters and pick up passengers will lose their job.
Tips for taking taxi: 1) The taxi situation at Beijing Airport is a little worse. The taxi sharks are quite active at the international arrivals doors, come straight to the official taxi area after you come out. Official taxis have a taxi sign on the roof, and on the dashboard on the passenger side is a placard with the drivers registration number. If this placard is missing then avoid it. At your destination, you should requrst a fappiao (a receipt, which is generated by the meter). If the meter isn't working, you can refuse to pay, and if the driver threatens to call the police, encourage him to do so. At this point he will write a hand-written fappiao, but make sure he (or you) writes down the car registration and the driver registration before paying your mo for the taxi.
2) Please keep the adress card from your hotel or written by your hotel staff in Chinese to show the taxi driver. A hotel card with the Hotel's name in Chinese for your return trip. So always carry a card from the hotel in the event you get lost in the city. Shown the car to the driver and ask him to bring you there. Most of the drivers are not able to speak in English with exception of a few that is specially trained lately for the 2008 games.
3) You can also charter a taxi ( as a private your own car ) for day trips to the Great Wall ( which is around 1.5 hour drive from city) or just to transfer you around various locations like Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, Panjiayuan, Wangfujinging, etc. As long as it is within the city, most drivers are more than willing to let you charter their car for the day. A typical taxi will cost around RMB450 to RMB600 for an 8-hour day rental with driver. Each car can hold 4 comfortably. If you are sharing the car among 4, that is less than US$20 for a day.
4) Travlling around Beijing by taxi is quite easy. However, when it rains, it becomes a totally different situation. Keep in mind if you have a plane or train to catch, expecially if you have an unchangeable ticket! Firstly, cabs can be very difficult to find in the rain. Secondly, many taxis will simply refuse to take on longer journeys, especially to the airport and they also will refuse to go anywhere if it involves driving on the 3rd Ring Road which is jammed completely in the rain! So check the weather report and it is better to plan to get to the station or airport three hours before check-in time if your ticket is unchangeable.
5) The bridge and road tolls will be paid by passengers. For a journey that takes longer than 10 kilo or running after 23:00, the fares will be charged at 50% more.
6) The taxi situation at Beijing Railway Station is a little confusing. The vast numbers of people coming and going has made the taxi situation worse and more difficult. There are no obvious signs for the taxi line. It is best to cross the footbridge to the other side and get a taxi at the roadside anywhere along the street here. The taxi situation at Beijing Station should be solved immediately by the authorities concerned as it is a negative introduction to Beijing for visitors.
