Most have forgotten the days before the ride hailing apps, when to get a taxi could be an exercise in futility. Most likely the cabbie didn’t want to go where you wanted to, or wanted more money than you knew it should cost, or just didn’t like your ‘vibe’.
Luckily for you, now Uber, Ola, and Rapido are the holy trinity of getting from A to B in modern Delhi. air-conditioned, GPS-tracked, no haggling, no scenic detours through your driver’s cousin’s furniture shop. Typically you get the choices of cars, auto rickshaws and motorcycle pillion rides on these apps.
Rapido is the interesting newcomer — it quotes a base fare that’s generally lower, but lets you bid a higher price to improve your chances of getting matched with a driver. Think of it as a polite auction for someone’s time.
Surge pricing kicks in during rush hour, late nights, or rain — the three horsemen of the Delhi commute.
The kaali-peeli taxis are now an endangered species, pushed to the margins by the apps the way CDs were pushed aside by Spotify. If you fancy a ride in a vintage Ambassador taxi — styled after the British Morris Oxford III, with the aerodynamics of a friendly rhinoceros and the suspension of a park bench — keep a real keen eye out. They’re neither common, nor are they comfortable, but they are a rolling slice of history. A museum with an ignition key.
That aside, stick to the apps.