Costs of Taxis in Israel (Part 4 in our Series of Hiring Taxis in Israel)

What are the actual practical differences between hiring a taxi and paying according to the number shown on the meter (Moneh) or by agreeing upon a pre-arranged amount?

PAYING A FIXED AMOUNT:

If you negotiate a price for the journey, then if the journey takes 10 minutes or two hours, you'll only be liable for the amount agreed upon, even if the cab driver argues with you and tries to force you into paying more. 

PAYING ACCORDING TO THE METER:

If you use the Moneh, and the traffic lights are working slowly (and the driver is not concentrating as he should – taking turns where he shouldn't – not that you would know anything about this,) you may find yourself paying a lot more. 

Be well aware, many drivers who can spot that you're new, will take chances turning into roads that are not necessary, simply to waste time. As we will continually mention "time is money!" 

You may also notice that the driver will slow down if it looks like the traffic light will turn orange, and when it does, he'll stop, leaving the meter counting onwards as you sit waiting for a green light! But… if you agree upon a price upfront, the driver will find it much easier to get through green lights and for some reason find his way directly to the location without the need for taking surprise turns where not necessary! (He's an outstanding driver after all... what would ever make you suspect that he can't make every green traffic light?!)

REAL COSTS EXPLORED:

Actual costs for the journey work "something" like this. Practically speaking, a trip from Beitar Illit to Yerushalayim can cost anywhere between 70 shekel (realistic!) to 130 shekel (Israeli honesty.) What this means is that the real cost may even be advertised at 70 shekel. However, once the cab is waiting, other issues may creep in, raising the price. Alternatively, if you find yourself waiting at a hospital on Friday afternoon needing to get home urgently before Shabbat, expect taxis to charge 150 shekel for the exact same journey. If you want to take the "Moneh chance" you may save yourself tens of shekels – but be prepared for the warnings brought in the previous paragraphs – and remember in order to qualify as a taxi driver – 5 years of hard driving are necessary before they'll be approved… so they probably know the streets better than most newbies. If so, they probably also have fantastic ideas about what to do with a demanding client who wants the Moneh when they (the taxi drivers) were quite comfortable charging the 150 shekel fee. If you're in Israel long enough – and have the funds to experiment – go for it. You'll be the best person to see how "money talks" and how it changes the relationship you'll have with your driver throughout the trip.

If you choose the Moneh, your journey will begin at a cost of about 10 shekel (currently.) The meter adds in increments only it knows about. Don't try and figure it out – unless you're planning to work in the taxi industry yourself! This mysterious Moneh has a way of adding units (money) to itself every 10 seconds, or every 1 minute. I've personally watched the meter and still not figured out how it works out when to add an additional amount. 30 or 40 Agarot are usually added at each – every-so-often, and amounts can accumulate very very fast! When sitting at a red traffic light and watching the Moneh, you will find out two things in life – "time is money," and "time can be very slow – though some of Man's 'better made machines' work just perfectly!" Those wishing to slow time down (you know, those who always say how fast time flies) should sit inside a taxi cab in Israel and watch how fast the meter may accumulate as time seems to simply stand still!

Stay tuned for our next instalment where we will let you in on some of the extra charges you probably never even thought would exist. It's one thing to manage to hire your taxi. It's quite another to realise that some costs will not be spoken about – until the end of the journey, when one finds oneself being billed for an amount far above the initial metered reading.

Meanwhile, you've at least managed to hire your taxi and get a feeling for what will be better – the Moneh or arranging a fixed cost.

Taxis in Israel - Costs (Part 3 in our Series about Taxis in Israel)

A taxi is known as a "Monit" in Hebrew. The reason it is called this, is because its main focus is on the Moneh – the counter, the meter. What makes a taxi a taxi is not the driver, the car or the company; it's the counter that turns this car into a business machine.

You are perfectly entitled to demand that the driver put this counter on. 

We're going to learn a little about the actual hiring of the taxi, the ride itself and the "after effects" and possible additional costs one might come up against at one of these points.

Imagine the following scenario:

You need to go from Yerushalayim to Tel Aviv. You call the taxi and hire by phone (and pay the extra 4 shekel as per our previous post) and he arrives. Keep in mind that his arriving could be on time, early or late! 

If he's early, he'll be eager to tell you so by hooting (blowing his horn) uncontrollably (don't worry, this is normal Israeli behaviour and may take some time getting used to). He is also a wizard with his cell-phone and wishing to show you his technological  prowess, he will be sure to call you from his own phone. You best be warned about this, because depending on the cab hired, you may find yourself paying extra for his having to have waited for you – though of course he arrived early. 

Those wishing to engage in battle with the driver are welcome to – it's old sport for most. But you best not try to get the winning hand – come what may. There are many uncomfortable scenarios that can be listed here for "non-understandable" situations between the cab driver and the client. Of course, he may be one of the "impatient" types, and after trying unsuccessfully to get your attention for too long (though it still be early!) he may drive off leaving you without your cab!

The driver may also arrive late… Don't forget about the Moneh – the meter! The thing is that his arriving late may not be bad if it's 2pm. But when you need a cab at 5pm, and he arrives at 5:15pm – this may result in being caught in even worse rush hour traffic. If you're paying by the meter, you're going to be paying a lot more now for the additional wait!

On these points regarding waiting, do keep in mind that when the meter is activated, the cab driver may do so the moment you come out to say hello. If you now run upstairs to collect something you may have forgotten, your cab will be happy to wait as the counter accumulates "points."

If the meter has not been chosen as a means of monitoring costs, once he arrives, you may be able to negotiate a price with him (if you haven't already done so.) 

YOU'VE DONE IT!

The cab's arrived. You know what you're in for! Be prepared for a variety of circumstances that can add to your costs – from the taxi arriving early and charging so, to his waiting downstairs for you as you go up to fetch something! If he arrives late, don't forget, if it's now closer to peak-hour traffic and the meter is running, you'll be accumulating costs at an accelerating rate!

Stay tuned for a further post where we will compare the differences in cost between using the meter (Moneh) and arranging a fixed price before the journey begins. There are a number of other areas concerning costs that we'll be speaking about.

Hiring Taxis in Israel (Part 2) CAUTION! Be Aware!

Though there are plenty of Israeli taxi drivers, there are also Arab drivers. Of course there's nothing wrong with getting a ride from a responsible caring driver no matter his nationality. But, if you're looking to play things safer – if you have any hesitations about the driver being Israeli or an Arab and may be worried – just let the driver know you don't need him after all. (There's no need to apologise… you're in Israel!)

The taxi company name should be listed on the cab itself. If you don't see anything in Hebrew letters – be aware! On this note, if you do get into a cab and look above the seat belt of the front seats, there should be a plaque with the cab driver's name. This can often indicate the nationality of the cab driver. 

Of course for safety precaution reasons – you will do yourself a great favour by writing down the name of the company and the taxi number as well. We will examine more about this in a future post. Keep a pen and paper ready when hiring a taxi – and make a clear note of the number of the taxi and the company that runs it. If you want to be extra special careful – write down the license plate as well. You never know when you might need this. More on this later though…

Be aware. Though there may be a general feeling of safety in Israel, there is a real war going on!

Taxis in Israel - How to Hire a Taxi

Whether you're just visiting or have made the big move and are now establishing your life in the Holy Land, there's one thing you're going to be coming in contact with a lot – the Israeli Taxi!

It may seem like a simple matter: 

• You need to get from A to B as quickly as you can.
• You see a car travelling by with the words indicating that it's a taxi.
• You get in to the car ready to pay a certain fee.
• You arrive at your destination.
• You pay for the trip.
• All is well that ends well…

Except…

You may need to familiarise yourself with some important facts that may literally save your life. If not your life, you may save hundreds of wasted shekels. And if nothing else, with a few extra tips, you'll find yourself "enjoying" your taxi ride just a little more.

In this post, we will look at the art of flagging down or hiring a taxi. Stay tuned for further posts on what you'll need to be aware of as you travel, and costs involved.

The first thing to know is that if you do need a taxi, there are two ways of getting hold of one.

1. You can simply flag one down. If you're the conservative type (a well-bred South African for example) you may find yourself a little intimidated, and meekly stick out your hand (even shyly) in the hope that some taxi will imagine you're trying to employ their services. If you try this technique, you probably will not succeed. On the contrary, if you'd rather just look at the taxi as he passes by (without any passengers in it) you may be far more likely to catch his attention then lifting up your finger as you might have done when wanting to ask a teacher a question when you were in the first grade. So, if you're going to succeed, be ready for some action! Boldy stand close to the road with your hands waving about as if you absolutely NEED to get somewhere (and have lots of money to get there!) Be warned though - look left and right – not for the cars (which might not be conscious of you in any case) – but rather for the other hopeful passengers who may wish to take the taxi before you do! If there's no one else around – you're likely to find a taxi coming by soon!  If there are others, you may find yourself flagging a taxi… for someone else. If you're looking for a day filled with smiles, avoid these confrontations. All you want to do is flag the taxi down and get in. You simply don't want to have to fight with someone else who felt you'd done all the hard work for them…
2. You can also hire a taxi by simply making a phone call to one of the well‑known companies and tell them your needs. They will be happy to come and pick you up (especially if you establish a price beforehand which makes things worth their while – but more on this in a later post.) You may be charged an extra 4 odd shekels for this call-up service. For some reason when doing business in Israel and asking for "special favours" you get charged more – even if the service is exactly the same! So if you're looking to save money – go with option 1. If you're looking for service when you need it – go for option 2 and be ready with some extra cash!

Well done. You've managed to get a taxi. But is it all downhill from here? Tune into our next post where we examine some things that you must be aware of. If you're not, you'll end up wasting money – and possibly a lot more!