The new route taxi look!

[CosmicMoose]

Hi all, thanks for all the info. Now I want to clarify something that happened on my last trip. I was heading towards the lighthouse in the cliffs and a route taxi heading the opposite way was empty and he turned around to pick me up. Is he now a chartered taxi because he broke his route, or because technically his route is in the cliffs, he is still a route taxi? Just asking because I would guess that there would be a different fee structure if he broke his route and became a chartered taxi even though I'm along the route. Thanks in advance.

~Moose

[Rob]

Moose,

No matter what, it can be confusing as you didn't grow up using the system.

I am assuming here that you read on the taxi that it was indeed on its West End route. Since the route taxi was still on the route it remained a route taxi.

If you negotiated the fare, then the route taxi becomes a charter taxi. Technically they need to place a charter sign in the window so other potential passengers know that they won't be picked up. On a quick run this is rarely done.

[CosmicMoose]

Moose,

No matter what, it can be confusing as you didn't grow up using the system.

I am assuming here that you read on the taxi that it was indeed on its West End route. Since the route taxi was still on the route it remained a route taxi.

If you negotiated the fare, then the route taxi becomes a charter taxi. Technically they need to place a charter sign in the window so other potential passengers know that they won't be picked up. On a quick run this is rarely done.

Hi Rob,

Yeah.... this is where I totally went wrong. I assumed since it was a route taxi driving along the west end that it would indeed stay on it's route, and I'd get charged the 'route fare' even though he turned around. Now mind you this was from BCC to Pushcart, so not too far. I get in tell him Pushcart, and off we go. We get there, I give him a US $5 and start to get out and I hear "awww mon, can't you give me a better tip?" Wow, Ok so if this was $130J fare, I just gave you like a 400% tip. ok fine, maybe I chartered it and it was a bit more, I grab my wallet from my bag, grab another dollar and give it to him. Stick the wallet back in the bag (or so I thought) and get out and go into Pushcart. I'm sitting there enjoying my Red Stripe and the view when a worker comes up and asks "is this your wallet? I found it underneath the fence near the entrance. It had no money in it when I picked it up." I guess I didn't put it back in my bag, and it fell out either into the cab or on the sidewalk, someone picked it up, took the money out and tossed it. Lesson learned. Hope others can learn from my lesson as well.

~Moose

[Bnewb]

Moose...if he was actually a route taxi on his correct route (West End) as defined on the side of the vehicle...you should have given the route fare of 130j and rightfully expected change back from your $5us.
As someone living here...I would have known he was a West End route taxi and laughed and asked for my change.
If I had seen that it wasn't a West End route taxi...I would have known I was chartering and negotiated before I got into the vehicle.

These are some of the things that start to happen when you're using a system designed essentially for locals. If you've grown up with this system or use it regularly as someone living here it becomes second nature...but route vs charter can get very confusing for all parties involved including the taxi driver, as most expect that a foreigner is wanting an exclusive chartered taxi ride.

And, to add to the confusion...if that driver who picked you up was actually not on his route...it is illegal for him to act as a route taxi and would assume that you were chartering, as this is the only way he would be a legal taxi driver on someone else's route.

This is one of the reasons Rob recommends chartering a taxi rather than using a route...it can seem like a simple system but there is actually a learning curve...and not everyone should spend their vacation time having to figure it out!