[ssadwelkar]

Why do you always book a Meru? My wife asks me, why don’t you try the new TABCAB the cars are newer and more comfortable, I agreed with her these Meru cabs are getting old and some even don’t smell pleasant inside.

I travel very often almost every month, for the past few months my son has been dropping me and picking me up from the airport but as I have recently sold my car I had to depend on a taxi.

2 days to departure, created an account for myself on TabCab and tried to book a taxi well in advance to avoid any trouble at the last moment and so that the guys have enough time to arrange the car, but no, when I clicked submit I get a message you can only book 24 hours in advance. Ok no probs tried again the next day with just 24 hours to go, booking submitted and accepted, sms received saying “your booking ref is xxxxxx, car and chauffeur details will be sent 45 mins prior to pick up.

Next day -time of departure from home is getting near, it is almost 45 minutes prior to pick up and no sms, what’s going on, so I called up their number, Iam on hold and no one is picking up, in the background the stupid TabCab ad is going on, 5 minutes passed and finally someone answers the call, I give him my reference number and he says sir you will get the details 45 mins prior to pickup, I say it is 40 mins to pickup now, what are you talking about, please send me the cab details, he says I will check and sms you and he hangs up.

Then I get an sms your booking is under process and will update you in 10 mins, now it is 30 mins before pickup, what do I do now? Call Meru? Will they have cabs in my vicinity? I told my wife better not depend on these TabCab guys better call Meru and see if they can arrange a cab, my wife called them and fortunately a cab was nearby they said it would be at my place in 25 mins. In the mean time I receive another sms from TabCab “we regret to inform you that your booking request could not be confirmed due to non-availability of cabs in your area.”

This is the service of TabCab in Mumbai and Meru though old and smelly are still dependable probably because they have a bigger fleet of cars.The Meru cab arrived in time and I was happily on my way to the airport.

TABCAB are not dependable, that’s my experience, 1st and last probably.

[aroonanand]

Originally Posted by ssadwelkar

TABCAB are not dependable, that’s my experience, 1st and last probably.

They dont seem to be reliable even in the airport. Usually when I land at Mumbai from Blr, I take Easy Cabs from Terminal 1B. This time, thought of trying Tab Cabs and went to their counter. Was handed over a card mentioning cab number, driver number and was asked to wait at the fleet taxi pick up area for the cab. Reached there and almost 10 mins passed by with no sign of my cab (several other Tab cars and Easy / Meru Cabs came by and picked ppl). Tried calling the driver and his number is switched off !!!

Called the TabCabs number printed and was informed the cab should be on its way and I should wait for few mins as the car may have got stuck at the airport entry. Another 5 mins pass by and no signs- mobile of driver is still switched off. Again called their number and gave them a piece of my mind - the guy promised to call back in a min, which he did, and said that whilst the car has left the parking area, they are unable to trace it as the GPS is also switched off !! Wow, some reliable driver they have !! He promised to come with another cab in 5 mins and eventually turned up in 10 mins. The car which eventually came was new, clean and well driven. But will I take a chance again and wait for 15 mins for a car which will not turn up = probably not.

These guys seriously need to improve their service levels - have never faced an issue like this in the 10 odd times I used Easy Cabs in the past 6 months from terminal 1B at Mumbai.

[ssadwelkar]

Originally Posted by aroonanand

These guys seriously need to improve their service levels - have never faced an issue like this in the 10 odd times I used Easy Cabs in the past 6 months from terminal 1B at Mumbai.

Sure they need to get their act together, I have previously several times taken the Cool Cab from the International airport, they are good, no hassels.

Also last time I noticed that now there is a Meru counter at the International Airport so I booked a cab there to go home, they charged me an additional fee of Rs 80 (Airport Facilitation Fee).

[aroonanand]

Originally Posted by ssadwelkar

Sure they need to get their act together, I have previously several times taken the Cool Cab from the International airport, they are good, no hassels.

Also last time I noticed that now there is a Meru counter at the International Airport so I booked a cab there to go home, they charged me an additional fee of Rs 80 (Airport Facilitation Fee).

Yes, all these fleet taxi guys charge Rs. 50 as service fee at the domestic terminal. Agree that the Cool Cabs have no hassles - only reason I refrain from taking them is because many of their cabs are so poorly maintained that they stink badly and are extremely dusty inside.

[girishglg]

Originally Posted by ssadwelkar

Also last time I noticed that now there is a Meru counter at the International Airport so I booked a cab there to go home, they charged me an additional fee of Rs 80 (Airport Facilitation Fee).

Originally Posted by aroonanand

Yes, all these fleet taxi guys charge Rs. 50 as service fee at the domestic terminal.

This fee is new since it was not charged earlier. Not sure since when did they start charging this service fee.

A better option would be book a Meru online from airport to your destination and it would be free of any extra charges.

Or does it still get charged just because it turned up at the airport and not at any other place?

[ssadwelkar]

Originally Posted by girishglg

This fee is new since it was not charged earlier. A better option would be book a Meru online from airport to your destination and it would be free of any extra charges.

Or does it still get charged just because it turned up at the airport and not at any other place?

This was just a couple of months back that I noticed the Meru counter in the international airport just before exiting, I went to them as I needed the cab, they took down my address and phone # etc. and then made a receipt of Rs 80 and gave it to me, they did not tell me before that I would be charged Rs 80 extra as the Facilitation Fee, I was surprised but had a long flight so I kept quiet and paid the money.

I dont know how you can book a Meru online from the airport.

Cool Cab counter is just a few steps away, they do not charge an additional fee.

[arvind71181]

Used the million dots taxi service yesterday for the first time. Booked for 4 hours at 530 and the taxi arrived at 545 for a 615 PM request time. The driver was courteous, always wore a seat belt, did not exceed any speed limits and did not jump any signal. Also, he received so many calls on his mobile but did not take even one if them, even for a short "call you back". And the charge was 700 for 4 hours for an Etios which was very very well maintained, while fast track etc charge 650 for the same duration for badly maintained indicas.

Overall, highly recommended. Let's just hope they provide the same service every time. Will check on that the next time I avail their services.

[superlux]

I found Iriscabs having reasonably decent service in Delhi at cheap rates. The booking was confirmed on time and the cabbies were helpful. I would recommend them to anyone on a budget.

[gkrishk]

Any suggestions for a pre-booked taxi from Dehradun airport to Kanatal resort?

[narayan]

anyone tried the newly launched NTL cabs in Chennai ? seems to be in direct competition to Fast track. I have so far found fast track ok, except for one occassion where when my mom was to be dropped at the railway station and had 2 bags, the driver refused to even remove the bag from the boot and give it to her !

[ThePunter]

Originally Posted by narayan

anyone tried the newly launched NTL cabs in Chennai ? seems to be in direct competition to Fast track. I have so far found fast track ok, except for one occassion where when my mom was to be dropped at the railway station and had 2 bags, the driver refused to even remove the bag from the boot and give it to her !

Seems they are mostly running Toyota Etios Liva cars. Found atleast 3 of them on my daily morning commute from Pallikaranai to T Nagar today. Got to know they have few Ford Figo's too.

My Fast track experince so far has always been Very good except for a couple of "just OK" in the last 2 years. I might have used it only 10 to 12 times during this period. I always used to give 30 to 45 min buffer time, and except for those 2 or 3 occassions it was always arrival at my gate 10 to 15+ mins before time. They used to wait with no hurry or honks. Once I got a sparkling new innova instead of indica that I had asked for nothing extra charged (need not be too, of course). The 2 "just OK" situations were when I got shoddy indicas all shivering and badly maintained, and above that keeping me on my toes with respect to timing.
More recently, in the last few months, I have experienced long waiting to get connected to their 2020 phone number too. Luckily I have got connected to alternate numbers when tried a few times during those occassions. Now I am waiting to try out milliondot as I have seen many many of them in the last few weeks all good cars, ya they are new in business na?.

[girishglg]

Have seen milliondot too in recent visits to Chennai but still stuck to Fast track. Have anyone else used it yet?

Also requesting again to provide reviews of call taxis in Delhi region other than Meru since it is very difficult to get one at short notice.

[aroonanand]

Originally Posted by girishglg

Also requesting again to provide reviews of call taxis in Delhi region other than Meru since it is very difficult to get one at short notice.

Hi Girish,

I usually use Easycabs in Delhi to go to the airport from hotel and so far had good experiences. They have fleet of Accent and Etios. However today was a different experience. As usual booked them thru the phone and the driver arrived on time. But when I stepped out, I was shocked to see a rickety old Eeco waiting for me instead of a sedan. Upon inquiry, the driver told me Easycabs has a fleet of Eecos too. This one was totally abused, AC not working, terrible suspension and all sorts of rattling / noises from the engine. Took almost an hour to reach the airport from Gurgaon whereas it should not have taken over 30-40 mins normally. And the rip off, they charge the same INR 20 per km for this rickety vehicle whereas other operators (Quick cabs for instance) who use Eecos charge around 12-14 per km.

Will think again before using Easycabs - will have to insist on a sedan upon booking I guess. Have not used Mega cabs - they also operate in Delhi.

If you have to go to multiple places or need the vehicle for the whole day, would recommend Carzonrent. I use them in Delhi / Mumbai / Chennai and Pune regularly and consistently good experience. You can book on the web (they charge 200 / hr which includes 10 kms) and can pay the driver in cash.

[callvvijay]

Originally Posted by girishglg

Have seen milliondot too in recent visits to Chennai but still stuck to Fast track. Have anyone else used it yet?

Also requesting again to provide reviews of call taxis in Delhi region other than Meru since it is very difficult to get one at short notice.

My colleague who was using FastTrack for her daily commute to and from office, has changed to MillionDots for the past few months. She is all praise for the cab - about their timeliness, their courtesy etc. Also, since she has become a regular customer, they don't charge her for the waiting time too.

Personally, I haven't used them yet but would be doing it soon.

NTL - Again, haven't used them yet. But their fleet is so good - neat Livas and Figos. Have to try them too.

[girishglg]

Recently received an SMS of autowale.in where one can book an auto by calling their customer care number.

This service is available in Pune and Bangalore for now and it is for 24x7
Pune - 02066111111
Bangalore - 8050661111

Source - www.autowale.in

Some key features-

• 24 x 7 service over the phone so you can call any time of the day or night
• Use of existing infrastructure and auto-rickshaws to avoid further adding to traffic problems in the city
• Dedicated rickshaw fleet partnered with Autowale plying the roads across different areas
• Training for Auto Rickshaw drivers to promote safety, courtesy and friendly service
• Location tracking devices installed on rickshaws
• Convenient billing & payment options for regular commuters and recurring trips
• Fares and payment as per RTA approved tariffs
• Fleet operates across PMC & PCMC areas of Pune and Bangalore City