If there’s one thing that most writers about Bali agree on, it’s that the local taxi mafia can be a bit much, particularly if you come from somewhere where a taxi driver is supposed to follow set rules.
The good news is that things aren’t as bad as they once were and your time on the island doesn’t need to be spoiled by taxi drivers as long as you know what you’re doing.
So, we’ve put together this guide to surviving and thriving despite the Bali taxi mafia and always getting to where you want to go, without any “hidden charges” or worse.
The Bali Taxi Mafia – Is This A Real Problem?
Yes, it is. Though there are a few problems regarding taxi drivers and mostly this is just the usual gamut of tourist scams that you find across most of the world with respect to taxis.
The usual scams and their solutions include:
The meter doesn’t work – just get out of any metered taxis where the driver refuses to use the meter. Don’t argue with them. Get out and find another taxi. This is a classic signal that you’re about to get ripped off.
Telling passengers of ride-sharing apps that they can offer a private car for the same fee – this will last until you arrive at your destination, at which point the fee will go up significantly and leave you with the option to either fight the driver or pay (we’d strongly recommend paying – you will get into huge amounts of trouble if you fight)
Fake taxis – the best known and most legitimate taxi company in Bali is Bluebird Taxis, they even have their own app for you to hail their taxis from. Unfortunately, because they are a trusted brand, many local drivers have opted to create fake versions of the Bluebird Taxis from which they use aggressive tactics to push up their fees far beyond local rates. Only hail a taxi if you’re certain that you know which brand it is and that it’s legitimate.
Unclear fares – taxi drivers that want to negotiate a fixed price fare should be absolutely clear about what is included in that fare. If they won’t be straight about this, find another car.
Oddly, some of the more common global taxi scams don’t seem to take place in Bali and you’re not likely to encounter:
Faulty/Tampered Meters – this is a real problem in Vietnam but not in Indonesia. There some metered taxis have meters that allow the driver to artificially inflate the price as they drive.
Going the long way around – in much of Bali, there’s only one real route from A to B, so driving around in circles for hours to run up the bill isn’t a problem here.
Debit card scams – taxis in Bali don’t take cards unless you’re paying with a card through one of the ride-sharing apps, so there are no card scams in Bali’s taxis.
However, the taxi mafia problem in Bali is quite different from these common scams. The issue is this:
Areas where private drivers cannot go – around many tourist attractions in Bali, you will find that ride-sharing drivers are forbidden from picking up tourists and that a local taxi mafia is the only group permitted to use a certain pickup point. Private drivers who try to ignore this taxi mafia find themselves swarmed by local taxi drivers and things can get aggressive or even violent. Many tourists find this incredibly intimidating and frustrating. The local drivers expect much bigger fees than the ride-sharing apps charge. So, what’s the solution?
Firstly, it’s important to note that ride-hailing apps are entirely legal in Bali. They once had an uncertain status here but the local government has confirmed that Grab and Go-Jek are fine (there is no Uber in Bali, the Uber driver here is usually known as a Grab driver as Uber owns a share in Grab and vice-versa) and that you are OK to use their online taxi drivers anywhere on the island.
This hasn’t deterred the taxi mafia, however, and you can still find a taxi stand near most major attractions where most drivers simply won’t pick you up. You may also find that at some shopping centers you can only use a taxi mafia driver.
How To Avoid Being Ripped Off By Bali’s Taxi Mafia
You can avoid the excess fees levied by a local taxi driver operating in a taxi mafia. There are two simple ways to do so:
1. Walk Away
The easiest thing to do in these instances is walk a few hundred yards down the road, the men sitting at these stops won’t chase you and the online drivers will be delighted to pick you up from somewhere that you won’t get hassled and they won’t get intimidated and threatened.
The Grab app actually marks streets where it can and can’t pick up which makes using their services much easier in areas controlled by the taxi mafia.
This is perfectly safe and most locals use the same tactics. It saves money and it saves on hassle.
Unfortunately, for travelers who are unable to head down the road to avoid this problem, the only solution is going to be to book a taxi ride with the taxi mafia and accept the inflated cost of your journey.
Oddly, despite having come by their passengers in a dishonest fashion, most taxi mafia will honour the agreed fare when you get into their cab and you don’t need to worry about being ripped off, again, at the end of your journey.
2. Hire A Private Driver
There is one way for tourists who can’t walk long distances to avoid the taxi mafia and that’s to hire a private driver on a daily basis.
These drivers are easy to come by (see the FAQs below) and are relatively cheap (500,000 IDR/day which is about $35 USD or $50 AUD including driver, car and fuel for an 8 hour day).
If you want to make a few trips in a day or a long trip, this can often be cheaper thann using a ride share.
What About The Police?
Indonesia is a developing nation and the politics of taxi mafia spots is very complicated. The police in Bali are stretched thinly at the best of times and simply cannot afford to get invovled in disputes over transportation. It’s not that they don’t care, it’s just outside of their remit.
If you are severely overcharged or threatened by a taxi driver, you may want to make a police report, particularly if it will help with making an insurance claim, but don’t rely on them doing much to rectify the problem once they are aware of it.
FAQs
Is There A Taxi Mafia In Seminyak?
Yes. Normally they operate at some of the hotel properties in Seminyak and you can find them waiting outside of the location and offering high prices.
Again, you will find that other cars are not allowed into the hotel’s car parking lot to help shore up the taxi mafia’s claim on the spot. Just walk away from the specific area and head down the street and then use a ride-sharing app.
It’s not worth getting into an argument, or worse, over this issue. Just be aware that these aggressive tactics are mainly for show and are only used because many tourists fall for them. You can find a Bali taxi without overpaying easily enough.
Is Grab Banned In Ubud?
No! But Ubud is a prime spot for the Bali taxi mafia and if you want a fair price for a Bali taxi in Ubud, you may need to walk some distance from an attraction before you can get a Grab or Go-Jek ride to pick you up.
How Do You Book A Private Driver In Bali?
We recommend that you book a private driver through the Bali Res Centre. That’s a locally owned and operated travel service which specializes in Balinese travel.
In addition to arranging a car, they can also help your book flights, hotel rooms, tours, etc. and at very competitive prices.
Any money you spend with this service remains in the Balinese economy and doesn’t go overseas into the pockets of greedy middlemen and corporations.
There is a taxi mafia in Bali but it’s no longer the problem that it once was and with a little forward planning, tourists don’t need to worry about them at all.
Just be aware that you might need to walk a short distance to get a Grab without being hassled in certain tourist spots and that this is what the locals do in the same situation.
And if all else fails, you can hire a private car and driver cheaply and easily and ride around the island in style with no hassle at all.
