All taxis in India have a yellow number plate. However the livery of the taxis varies from state to state. Taxicabs in Delhi and Mumbai have distinctive black and yellow liveries with the bottom half painted black and upper half painted yellow. In Kolkata, most taxis are painted yellow with a blue strip in the middle. Private companies operating taxis can have their own liveries. According to Government of India regulations, all taxicabs are required to have a fare-meter installed however additional surcharges for luggage, late-night rides and toll taxes have to be paid by the passengers. Depending on the state, taxis can either be hailed in the streets or be hired from taxi-stands. In cities such as Bangalore, taxis need to be hired from taxi stands, whereas in cities like Kolkata and Mumbai, taxis can be hailed on the street. In some areas of Delhi (Noida, Gurgaon), Mumbai and Kolkata auto rickshaws are banned from the streets thus giving the monopoly to taxi companies. The big cities like Bangalore, Delhi, Hyderbad and Mumbai have modern cabs which can be reserved in advance by telephone or online (Easy Cabs, Meru Cabs).
India’s major international airports and some railway stations have prepaid-taxi booths. These enable travelers to book a fixed-price taxi. The prices include luggage and helps to avoid bargain hassle, commission and other scams. One should always collect the receipt from the counter. The prepaid taxi receipt has the designated drivers’ license plate number printed on it. The receipt has two parts - one part is for traveler reference, the second has to be handed over to the taxi driver after reaching the desired destination. The taxi drivers get their payment by submitting the receipt to the pre-paid taxi counter.
Some big cities like Mumbai have Shared Taxis that operate during the peak hours. Shared taxis take a full cab load of passengers to a more or less common destination. The passengers are charged according to the number of people. The pick-up points for these taxis are fixed, and are marked by a post that says, Shared Taxis. The rates are lower than the metered fare to the same destination, but higher than the bus or train fare.
The state of Goa has licensed Motorcycle Taxis driven by men called pilots. These motorcycle taxis can normally be identified by their yellow-and-black coloured paint and yellow number plate. The motorcycles have no meters and the fare should be fixed in advance.
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