With the advent of Uber and Grab, Asia’s more mainstream
taxi drivers have had to branch out a bit; no longer are
they just there to ferry you from point A to point B. Yet
every locale plays by different rules—Singapore has strict
laws about where a cab can pick up and drop off, whereas
some days Bangkok seems to have a no-holds-barred,
sure-I-can-drive-on-the-sidewalk mentality. Here’s what
to expect, both good and bad, on your commutes around
the region’s metropolises.#TLASIA
GETTING AROUND ASIA, ESPECIALLY ON WATER, IS NEVER BORING. HERE ARE A
FEW OF OUR FAVORITE MODES OF TRANSPORT FROM READERS LATELY.A timeless scene of a fisherman
o n I n l e L a k e i n B u r m a.
By @passportsandpremi.Zipping around Langkawi’s
w a t e r s i n s t y l e.
By @modularmalaysiahot.Secluded Vivian Beach in far-
flung Coron, the Philippines.
By @sarahnaisoro.Passport to paradise aboard
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CONVERSATION
Singapore
Television presenter Carrine Low spent a week asking cab drivers in her city for
relationship advice. Answers to her questions of the “taxi uncles” ranged from the
mundane (“you should ask your parents”) to some blunt advice that will have most women
cheering: “Even if you’re married, your boyfriend or husband shouldn’t be borrowing money
from you.” Another tells her the perfect age difference between a man and a woman for
dating is three years—not the 20 she jokingly suggests.Bangkok
Note that many drivers of Bangkok’s
rainbow-hued taxi fleets are from
outside the city and may need
directions—so be sure to know exactly
where you want to go, preferably written
in Thai, and don’t ever pay an extra fare
unless you’re coming in from the airpor t
or passing through tollbooths. Luckily,
this oft-gridlocked town has another
style of chauffeur: the motorbike taxi,
colloquially known as mosai. Look for
groups of the orange-vested
professionals on street corners if you
need to get somewhere fast; fares start
at Bt10... and be sure to ask for a helmet.Hong Kong
Surprisingly few know that there are four separate taxi
fleets in the city: in the New Territories, the cars are
green; they’re light blue on Lantau; while Hong Kong
Island and Kowloon boast the ubiquitous red cabs.
Both urban areas have specific taxi stands to cross the
harbor, but if you’re hailing a car on the street, make a
smooth dipping motion with your hand to indicate you
want to travel via the tunnel. These days some drivers
will cross the harbor to “the other side” but remember
to factor in the toll in both directions.Tokyo
Maybe it’s no surprise to hear
that the sprawling metropolis
is home to about 3 5,0 0 0 t a xis,
but when you consider there
are more than 300 different
companies, that might raise an
eyebrow. Earlier this year, even
foreign drivers began driving
Tokyo taxis. While all cabs
have automated doors, not all
fleets accept credit cards. One
other subtle difference: a
red-lit sign on the dash means
a cab is free; blue or green
mean it’s occupied.IL
LUSTRATIONB
Y^MACROVECTOR/FREEPI
K.COM