Getting around Glasgow can be confusing and often expensive.
Taxi driver Dharminder Singh over charged a group visiting Glasgow £80 for a distance of under three miles. Mr Singh had no explanation for the expensive fare, asked for the fee in advance and dropped the group, that was more than he was permitted to carry, roughly a mile from their destination.
Trying to get a taxi in the city when in a hurry can take a long time and a large chunk out of your wallet. So here are some helpful tips and recommendations for getting taxis in Glasgow.
1. Gett
Black cabs that are often expensive, but Gett regularly have promotions of £2.40 taxi rides within a particular distance-range of the city. However, the promotion is not always active, so download the Gett taxi app and keep your eyes peeled for this handy and cost effective promo. There is also other money off promotions to keep an eye out for.
In my experience the drivers have always been friendly, chatty and good drivers who know their way around. If you download the app you can check the fare before booking, watch the animated car on a map as your taxi approaches the pick-up and drop off points, see the type of car and registration you are looking out for, view the profile and previous ratings of the driver and leave your own rating for the driver. All-in-all, Gett is the black cab answer to Uber.
The app makes it easy to book taxis in advance, has fast pick up times, you can easily split your payments and let your friends know you are on your way or got home safely.
Gett is always my primary choice for a taxi.
2. Uber
Your first Uber journey is free up to the value of £15, which is a great start, however after this there are limited promotions for existing customers. The cost of an Uber taxi can vary depending on the popularity of their taxis, you can check the popularity and cost estimate of your journey on the app and see animated cars on a map to see the taxi locations. The app also makes it easy to let your friends know where you are, if you’re on your way to them or arrived at your destination safely. The drivers are a mixed bag of quality. I have experienced some great drivers who knew their way around, had a clean car, good chat, and some even offer bottles of water and packaged confectionary. On the other hand, I have also experienced drivers who follow their GPS to the wrong address, take long routes or on occasion got lost, chat can be minimal and on one occasion the car had a powerful and repulsive odour.
I would highly recommend checking their rating before being picked up.
Overall, Uber has fairly quick pick up times and good drivers, just check the popularity, fare cost and driver before booking and getting into your taxi.
3. Hampden Cabs
My least favourite to travel with and my last resort for a taxi. The drivers know where they are going but are very reluctant to chat, making the journey silent and awkward. The cars are often clean but tend to have some questionable odours. Value for money is better than getting a black cab however Uber is often cheaper and has generally friendlier drivers. The app gives an estimated time of arrival, which is often shorter than the time it actually takes for the taxi to arrive, however the journey is often safe and reliable, but is not for those in a hurry.
Each of these taxi options has cash, chip & pin or easy payment made automatically at the end of a journey with the card you store the details of on the app making booking quick and easy.
Featured image – Glasgow Taxis
