Egypt and India are the most affordable places among the world’s top cities to catch a taxi‚ while SA is ranked 16th.
This is according to survey of prices of a 3km inner-city taxi ride‚ a journey between the airport and the city centre‚ cost per kilometre and the cost of one hour’s waiting time.
The study also provides information on which models of car are most popular in each city‚ to make it easier to spot an unlicensed driver‚ and if an alternative such as Uber is available in each location.
The 2017 taxi price index‚ compiled by Carspring‚ was released on Monday. It is based on 80 of the most visited cities around the world and is designed to establish clarity about how much you should pay for a taxi.
"Nothing beats the relief of hopping into a comfortable taxi after a long day of sightseeing in a new city‚" Carspring CEO Maximilian Vollenbroich said in a statement. "But in some cities‚ this simply isn’t affordable‚ and in other places‚ tourists are at risk of being overcharged. We hope our research helps travellers prepare for safe‚ fun and budget-friendly travel in whatever ride best suits them."
In Cape Town‚ the city measured for SA‚ visitors are mostly like to hail a Toyota Avanza.
The cost of a ride from the airport to the city centre is priced at about R212 ($16.45).
The cost per kilometre is 77 US cents (about R10) while a 3km calculation is $3.13 (R40.50).
Cairo in Egypt is the most affordable city on the list‚ where hiring a Hyundai Elantra costs $4.20 from the airport and 10c per kilometre.
Mumbai in India takes the second spot, with a Toyota Innova priced at 32c per kilometre, followed by Jakarta in Indonesia where a Toyota Vios Limo costs 51c per kilometre.
Bucharest in Romania and Mexico City round out the list of the best-priced five cities to hail a cab.
Zurich (80th place) and Geneva (79th) in Switzerland‚ and Tokyo (78th)‚ Japan‚ are the most expensive on the list.
You will need to pay $5.19 a kilometre in Zurich and $3.32 in Geneva‚ where a Mercedes Benz is the most popular model of car. This was rated by looking at the standard vehicle used by several taxi companies in each city.
A Toyota Crown Comfort in Tokyo costs $2.92 per kilometre.
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