Like any other cities in the world, Yangon has a lot of taxis running the streets of the city. Unlike other cities in the world, taxis in Yangon are not metered, that means there is no meter to calculate the fare. In fact, there is not a single taxi with a meter in Yangon. (However, this might change in the near future as the Yangon municipality has plans to install meters in taxis). So you have to bargain with the taxi driver when you hire a taxi. Usually most taxi drivers ask for a higher price, especially if you are a foreigner or somebody coming from up country. If you don’t know the usual price, you might be cheated. So a good bet is to bargain for around half the asking price. It is cheaper to hire a taxi using the CNG (Compressed Natural Gas). Look for the CNG sign on the side of the taxi. Another thing to keep in mind is that it is cheaper to hire a taxi driving on the road than the one parked on the side. Those parked around shopping centers would ask for higher than normal price.
One thing to say: the taxis in Yangon are quite old and dirty, without air conditioning. And the driver might smoke. Don’t hesitate to ask him not to smoke if you don’t like.
Original article posted by bamarlay at Yangon Taxi on Myanmar Man’s Diary.
