Beijing Taxi
There are approx. 66,000 taxis going in and around Beijing. Basically the taxi volume in Beijing could meet the increasing taxi market demand. But at peak hours, people find it extremely hard to hail a taxi on the streets.Most of the taxi drivers can speak little English, you are advised to keep the name of your hotel written in Chinese or you may ask your hotel staff to write it down for you. So you are able to show it to a taxi driver.
All legitimate taxis in Beijing use meters, so just get in the taxi and pay the fare when you get out. To advoid possible dispute, you are advised to take fapiao (receipts) which willl be printed automatically for you.
Check out the Beijing taxi information below:
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Just a reminder You may be also interested in Beijing layover tours below: Mutianyu Great Wall Layover Tour from US$65 p/p Tiananmen Square & Forbidden City Layover Tour from US$ 59 p/p |
Taxi quantity in Beijing
Beijing currently has three million motor vehicles, of which there are about 66,000 legitimate cabs. There are also some illegal taxis (commonly known as "black car") running in and around Beijing.
Basically the taxi volume in Beijing could meet the increasing taxi market demand. But in the the following occasions, it is extremely difficult for people to hail a taxi:
1) At rush hour ( 7:00 - 9:00 and 17:00 - 21:00 )
2) Crowded commercial areas like Wangfujing Street...
3) Popular attractions like Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square...
4) Rain and snow
You are advised to book a taxi if you are going to catch a fligh and train at rush hour.
Current legal taxi models and colors
Major: Sonata, Jetta, the red flag, China, Elysée, Santana 3000.Beijing taxi charges
Daytime: 5:00 - 23:00 Taxi Fares· RMB 13 just for getting in within 3km (flag-drop charge )
· RMB 2.3 charged for additional 1km after 3km
· RMb 3.45 charged for additional 1km after 15km
Note:
1) One yuan (￥1) surcharge will be added beyond 3km to balance the oil hike according to the policy of the local government.
2) Waiting in a traffic jam or for the lights to turn green, it is charged as 2 kilometer per 5 minutes during peak hours (7:00-9:00) and (17:00-19:00).
Mid-night 11:00 pm – 05:00am Taxi Fares
· RMB 14.4 just for getting in for 3km
· RMB 2.76 charged for additional 1km beyond 3km
· RMB 4.14 charged for additional 1km after 15km
RMB 2.3 charged for additional 1km after 3km
The above taxi fare standard takes effect from June 10, 2013.
Note: Drivers must, unless they have good cause, accept any hiring within the city of Beijing. The driver is not obliged to accept a hiring if the destination is outside Beijing, and the fare for such a journey may be negotiated between the driver and hirer. Most of the taxi companies don't allow their taxi drivers to do business outside Beijing.
Carpooling in Beijing
Car pooling is legal in Beijing. Beijing government encourages carpooling, especially during high pollution periods and peak hours. By having more people using one taxi, car-sharing reduces each person's travel costs. Rideshare is also considered as a more environmentally friendly and sustainable way to travel as carpooling reduces carbon emissions, traffic congestion on the roads.
Carpool Charge: 60% of the non-carpooling taxi fare.
Each of the maximum 4 passengers will get a receipt of the taxi price.
Taxicab Stand
600 taxi stands are going to be built in Beijing. Each taxi rank has a 6-digit number. The first two digit number indicates the district the taxi stand is located. No.01 Dongcheng District; No.02 Xicheng District; No.3 Chaoyang District; No.4 Haidian District; No.5 Fengtai District and No.6 Shijingshan District. The last 4 digits is the number of the taxi stand. So just call 96106 (taxi call) and tell your 6 digit number, you taxi driver know where you are.
A Taxi Stand
Taxi call in Beijing
Taxi Call Tel: 96106Taxi Call Fee: ￥6 ( book over 4 hours in advance ); ￥5 (book within 4 hours )
For taxi complaints:
Tel: 96123
Remark: Pre-book a Taxi in advance with a Beijing taxi company so that your taxi driver can "meet & greet" you, your clients, friends or family at the Beijing Airport, Train Stations, your hotel, or at your Office, Home or any other place.
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.
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
Beijing Taxi rider's rights
As a taxi rider, you have the rights below:Direct drive to your destination;
The car pooling is legal in Beijing;
Booking a taxi on phone
Calling a taxi at a taxi stand;
Your car driver knows the streets in Beijing and the way to major destinations in Beijing;
Your driver should know and abide by all traffic laws;
Air-conditioning on demand;
A radio-free trip;
No Smoking
A clean passenger seat area;
A clean trunk
A driver uses the horn only when necessary to warn of danger;
No Tip.
How to identify black taxi?
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 not "Beijing B" license plates, then cab is possibly 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, and also aound some major tourist attractions. The most serious areas are the railway stations and Beijing capital airport. 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 stand 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 around RMB120 according to the different distance. Beijing airport expressway toll will be paid by passengers. 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.
All the cab drivers are encouraged to learn English. But the situation is that most of them speak little English. 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.
Travel Tips for taking taxi
1) 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 money for the taxi.2) Please keep the address 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. Show the card to the driver and ask him to bring you there. Most of the drivers are not able to speak in English.
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) Travelling 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 20% more.
Beijing Accessible Taxis
There are barrier-free taxis to facilitate people with a disability in Beijing. They have no seats on the front passenger side of the vehicles and can easily accommodate wheelchairs. The LTI model from the UK that has a simple ramp that folds out of the side door and gets one more piece the driver pulls out of the trunk to get all the way to the ground. Barrier-free taxi Bookings
Tel: 96106
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Taxi to Great Wall
You can also charter a taxi for day trips to the Great Wall. The drive ranges from 1.5 hour to 2.5 hours from the city center according to the different sections of the Great Wall. Below are the approximate taxi fares to the different sections of the Great Wall with waiting for about 2-3 hours while touring the wall:
Beijing Mutianyu Great Wall: 85km - approx.RMB 600
Beijing Badaling Great Wall: 80km - approx RMB 500
Beijing Simatai Great Wall: 140km - approx RMB 700
Beijing Juyongguan Great Wall: 60km - approx RMB 400
Beijing Jinshanling Great Wall: 160km approx RMB 800
Beijing Gubeikou Great Wall: 150km - approx RMB 750
Beijing Jiankou Great Wall: 85km - approx RMB 650
Beijing Huanghuacheng Great Wall 85km - approx RMB 600
Note:
The taxi prices above include the taxi with a licensed driver. If you want to rent a private vehicle travelling around Beijing, please visit Beijing Car Rental for more information.
Beijing Capital Airport Taxi
When arriving at the airport, keep away from taxi or black taxi drivers who approach you in the terminal or outside the terminal as they will ask for much more than the actual price.Just follow the taxi sign and there is a taxi stand outside the each terminal. Drivers should use their meter; make sure that the driver puts down the flag. Beijing capital airport is located about 20km to the northeast of Beijing city center. Taxi charges from Terminal 3 at Beijing capital international airport to Beijing downtown: about CNY 130 inclusive of both a toll gate fee (CNY 10) and a fuel surcharge (CNY1). Taxi charges from Terminal 2 at Beijing capital international airport to Beijing downtown: about CNY 120 inclusive of a fuel surcharge (CNY1).
If you take a taxi to Beijing airport from downtown Beijing at rush hour (morning and afternoon), it is best to call a taxi several hours in advance of your departure time. Although the Metro is often quicker during peak hours, a taxi is much more convenient.
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.
Beijing Capital Airport has three terminals - T1, T2 and T3. Each Terminal has its own airport taxi stand. Below is the detailed information on the location of each airport taxi stand of T3, T2 and T1 at Beijing capital airport:
Taxi stands at each terminal
Beijing Airport Taxi Stand
Terminal No.03 Taxi ServiceThe Terminal No.03 ( T3 ) is a huge 4-storey building. The T3 Taxi Terminal is located outside the underground floor of T3. Your arrival hall is on the second floor. That means you have to take a lift to the underground floor, and go out of the building. Once outside, you will see the taxi terminal with one row of taxis waiting. Taxi charges from Terminal 3 at Beijing capital international airport to Beijing downtown: about CNY 130 inclusive of both a toll gate fee (CNY 10) and a fuel surcharge (CNY1).
Terminal No.02 Taxi Service
The Terminal No.02 ( T2 ) is a big 3-storey building. The T2 taxi Terminal is located just outside the first floor of T2. Your arrival hall is on the first floor. So you just go out of the arrival hall, you will find the taxi terminal with many taxis waiting in line. Taxi charges from Terminal 2 at Beijing capital international airport to Beijing downtown: about CNY 120 inclusive of a fuel surcharge (CNY1).
Terminal No.01 Taxi Service
The Terminal No.01 ( T1 ) is a 2-storey building. The T1 Taxi Terminal is located outside the first floor of T1. Your arrival hall is on the first floor. Just go out of the first floor, you will many taxis waiting in line. Taxi charges from Terminal 1 at Beijing capital international airport to Beijing downtown: about CNY 120 inclusive of a fuel surcharge (CNY1).
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