Quote:
Originally Posted by lee123
Can take bike oso to save $. only 20k from habour bay to formosa hotel if u r alone.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by S.B.Y.1
Batam supirs (taxi drivers) are NOT to be trusted. Use their services for at the least thrice at most after which change supirs.
This advis has been posted umpteenth times already.
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I agree 100%.
I add that I really do not see the need to hire a dedicated supir for one full day, or even for the weekend. I never did that.
Hiring one taxi for one day might cost, say, 400k (am I wrong? I read this in some posts, excluding long rides to the South). And this implies negotiation, talking, time to spend.
Then what? You have that taxi following you all the time? Or you call him and wait when you need it? Do you think the driver really stays idle waiting for you and jumps to the car as soon as you call him?
In some cases, he will take some other rides to make some more money, hoping you don't call him during that, or simply believing that if you wait him for just 10 minutes it's not a problem for you. (it IS a problem, since you paid for exclusive use, but he will hardly understand the concept!)
I don't see the need of all that. The alternative strategy, for someone planning to stay mainly downtown, is to take the first taxi from the street. Zero waiting time. And lower cost overall, unless one does not ride a lot. In descending order of cost, I see:
- pay 50k per ride regardless the destination in Nagoya and nearby (virtually zero negotiation, since 50k is the price for taxi to/from Harbour Bay, and 50k for downtown is overpay already) => break even at 8 rides. (Warning: avoid the taxi waiting at Nagoya Hill inside the parking area. Notoriously the most expensive.)
- pay 50k per ride for going to and coming from Harbour Bay, 30k for downtown, 50k at night from disco or Kampung Bule (a bit more negotiation is needed, since most drivers will demand 50k as first price, sharks even more than that) => break even at 10-12 rides.
- pay 50k per ride for going to and coming from Harbour Bay, with luggage, 10k-15k for downtown on ojek when you are alone, 50k at night for a taxi from disco or Kampung Bule when you are with a girl => break even at 15-20 rides.
Sure, the balance between the two strategies depends on the usage pattern. That is, to individual preferences, plans and habits: "to each his own".
But one should not, I believe, just opt for hiring a taxi for one full day as unique possibility, without considering to pay a taxi (or ojek) only when needed.
Sure, the picture changes if one plans to go South to Barelang. Then, a taxi must be hired for 3-4-5 hours. But again, my advice is to hire one taxi for THAT tour, negotiating for say 70k per hour (this 70k really depends on how many km the taxi is supposed to run, because the driver bears some cost for running, and another in stand-by. It might be much less, if the taxi will not ride many km, or more, if you ask him to drive all time).