Taxi sphere in Batumi. What can you expect when contacting taxi services in the city of Batumi?
Taxis are one of the mandatory attributes of every city, because they allow you to quickly and comfortably get to the desired point on the map. The blog "MadLoba" will tell you about the features of taxis in Batumi, will offer some real stories about the adventures of tourists with taxi drivers, will tell you how not to fall into a trap.
Pros and cons of taxi in Batumi ⬇️
In this article you will learn about what you can expect when contacting Yandex and Maxim taxi services in the city of Batumi.
In principle, these services are not particularly different. The only thing is that before the tariffs at Maxim were cheaper than at Yandex, but now the opposite is true.
However, there is one point: you can pay for a trip to Maxim from an account, and to Yandex only in cash. According to rumors, the map and navigator in Maxim are better than in Yandex. But now we will talk more about taxi service, which you should be ready for, especially if you are going on a trip to Georgia for the first time.
Not the exact delivery of the car and disembarkation of passengers
So, you have arrived in Georgia. On your smartphone, the app is installed in your phone, and you make an order. Write the address or set a mark where to file the car. If you did everything correctly, then the screen shows that there is a search for a car, a driver. Then a notification will appear that in 4-5 minutes such and such a driver will arrive, in such and such a car, with such and such a number. And you are calmly, confidently waiting for a taxi. But it would be true to say that you will probably wait for your car to go exactly where you would like.
For example, you have specified the feed point of the central entrance of the conservatory, and your car can wait for you on the opposite side of the road. And you'll have to cross the road to leave. This situation occurs in Batumi very often, almost always.
The manager of the taxi service, of course, can offer you to cancel the lost cars, and so on until one of them arrives at exactly the specified point. But this is not the most convenient way out of the situation. Well, it's not so hard to cross the road and walk to the car, if you see it. If the ordered taxi is waiting for you at all, then it probably makes sense to cancel this order altogether.
Is it worth dealing with the driver in such a situation? The reaction and answers you can expect are completely different: from "I don't understand Russian" to "Yes, I came to the right place, as the map showed." Or "No, I have to go around there for a long time, you probably will," even if you are standing with heavy bags and a child at the central entrance of the market, which everyone knows for sure.
Also be prepared for the situation that you may be dropped off before reaching your destination. The driver will tell you with full confidence that you are on the spot, but in fact you will have to walk another 2-3 streets. If you know for sure that you haven't arrived yet, you can tell the driver about it, and he will take you exactly to the entrance to the restaurant, for example. And if you don't know the area yourself and get out of the car, automatically trusting the driver, then only then will you realize that you didn't come exactly where you wanted. That is, be careful, and check the cards yourself once again.
Many drivers are poorly oriented in the city
A lot of them come from other towns and cities to Batumi to work. And there are cases when the driver, even specifying the correct address, can drive past. Then it will turn around, return, and can call in from the side from which it is supposed to leave, creating casual situations with the guards of the object.
Quite often taxi drivers do not know the city, do not know hotels, shopping centers. Therefore, be prepared for the fact that you will need to clarify or show on the map several times, even if the driver says that he understood everything.
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The convenience of the driver is more important than yours
Another point you should be aware of. Let's take a concrete example:
A girl called a taxi. She received a notification that the car was already waiting. But when she went out into the yard, the girl did not find her. Knowing that the driver might be waiting on the road, she decided to look for him there. But the car drove up there only a few minutes later.
When asked why the driver noted that he was already in place, but had not physically arrived yet, he replied that he had deliberately included this mark in advance. The girl objected that it was not convenient that she was walking and looking for a car that had not yet arrived. She tried to explain that it was not right, especially since it was cool outside, and she was with a child, and they were late. If it says that the car is waiting, it means that passengers get out, get into it and drive, and do not have to worry about where their car is.
To which the driver replied: "Do I have to wait for you? It's not convenient for me." The girl decided to insist on her own, pointing out that she should drive up, inform about the arrival, wait until the client leaves, and take him ‒ this is the direct work of a taxi driver. Then, all the way, the taxi driver zealously and with stormy emotions proved his rightness to the passenger.
Of course, the girl could get out of this car and call another one, write an appropriate review about the driver. But there are situations when there are no more free cars in this area at the moment, and a person is in a hurry. So this girl had to get there already as it is, with a scandal. As a result, the mood was spoiled for the whole day, and she was disappointed to put a negative assessment, indicating the reason ‒ "rude driver".
Agree, such situations are very unpleasant, a person working in the service sector should not forget that this is primarily a service, a service service. Therefore, unfortunately, be prepared for the fact that sometimes a taxi driver can say everything he thinks about you to your face, express his indignation, shout, quarrel.
And also don't be surprised if the driver, the person you see for the first time, will address you immediately on "You".
The general condition of cars and the attitude of drivers to this
The first thing that is not good at all is the lack of seat belts, or if they are, then they are not serviceable, and this happens. In addition, when you express a desire to fasten at least a child, drivers may ask "Why? No need, everything will be fine." But not all passengers understand this approach. And you can also observe other malfunctions when something hums, rattles or other extraneous sounds are heard in the car.
Next ‒ it's smoky in the car. Very often you can get into a car where the driver was smoking in the cabin right before boarding.
Next – dirty salons. Sometimes, very old cars arrive, and they are very dirty, in the truest sense of the word.
And so, now you are acquainted and warned about some nuances of the work of taxi services. So that you do not worry, do not worry, do not get angry, do not be offended, but rejoice in many other beautiful things that are in the city of Batumi.
If you want to move comfortably, then either get behind the wheel yourself, or try to look at it a little easier. That is, remember that you are not in your own country, and you cannot influence the situation in any way and change something. You can't re-educate a person in 3 minutes by explaining to him how it should be. This is the way of life here, this is the way of life here, and therefore you either accept it, or choose other places where you are more comfortable.
And now about the good
But even here, in fact, not everything is so bad and not all cars and drivers are the same. Basically, when a taxi is called, wonderful people come who can cheer you up, treat you to tangerines, or just discuss something, or help with some issue, and in good cars, with good music.
If you don't drive a car or are often upset about a taxi, then choose a taxi driver with whom you are comfortable. Exchange contacts, make friends and contact him if necessary. After all, who better than a well-oriented taxi driver knows and will tell you where and what you can buy, how to find, how to choose or what interesting things you can see?
We wish you pleasant trips, so that in your journey you drive only the best cars, with good drivers and wonderful people. Be attentive and careful, and most importantly be friendly and stay calm.
Here you will find even more interesting and useful information about life in Georgia:
Get up to $45 for your First AIRBNB trip here http://bit.ly/airbnb-shvb
Useful chat about Batumi in Russian in Telegram http://bit.ly/Batumi-chat
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Но, с другой стороны, я встретила и очень дружелюбных водителей, которые предложили мандарины, рассказывали интересные истории о городе и помогали с ориентацией по местности. Несмотря на небольшие неудобства, я советую смотреть на такие ситуации с улыбкой, ведь это часть атмосферы города. В целом, если выбрать хорошего водителя, такси в Батуми может стать приятным дополнением к путешествию! Отдельное спасибо за скидку в 45$!