Experiences Using Uber in Bali
Jan 25, 2017, 7:25 pm
#46
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A few errors. 50k IDR is USD $3.75. Likely you are thinking AU$ and not US$. Uber does have a time element (standby, traffic, etc) for bookings. So if the Uber was still "on", and you paid 50k IDR in cash, you paid twice. In Dec 2015, a driver said the hourly Uber standby rate was 35k per hour, billed through the app as a normal part of the trip.
Tolls are sometimes included. Certainly the 11k for the Benoa Bay toll. Also, DPS airport parking. This is detailed in the bill emailed to you.
Estimates don't account for the toll. If you have a long wait (Like Uluwatu), double check the distance traveled, as sometimes they will show you going on 60km trips, when you really only traveled 15km.
Tolls are sometimes included. Certainly the 11k for the Benoa Bay toll. Also, DPS airport parking. This is detailed in the bill emailed to you.
Estimates don't account for the toll. If you have a long wait (Like Uluwatu), double check the distance traveled, as sometimes they will show you going on 60km trips, when you really only traveled 15km.
Am currently in Bali. Have used uber several times.
1. Denpasar airport to Kuta. Booked my uber using free airport wifi. My pickup location was set as international arrivals or similar - I guessed the uber would come to the signposted pickup area so walked around the area looking for the licence plate. Was stalked by several taxi drivers / touts along the way, in particular one persistent one. I told all the touts I had a driver sent by a local Indonesian friend picking me up. At last I spotted the licence plate and got in #likeaboss i.e. Tried to look cool as if I knew the driver ��. The persistent tout followed me to the door and closely scrutinised the driver's face and licence plate. cost from airport to Kuta was under 25k IDR.
Tip: Tell the touts your driver is picking you up.
Using uber at the airport can be difficult and stressful as there are so many cars. This is whilst trying to look like you're not using uber and avoiding the touts. If you don't mind spending a bit more using your hotel pick up service or the official taxi booth, may be worth it.
2. Kuta beach to Uluwatu temple and back to Kuta. Total cost on uber was under US$20. I paid the driver IDR 50k (US$5) per hour of waiting time in cash. He picked me up in Kuta, didn't end the trip at Uluwatu and kept the uber meter going until I got back to Kuta. No hassles at Uluwatu since the touts didn't know I was in an uber, they all probably thought he was a regular driver.
Tip: was extremely worthwhile tipping the driver to wait at locations where there is no convenient transport back.
3. Uber from Kuta to local shopping disctrict. The final bill exceeded the uber quote. Driver was 5 star and spoke reasonable English so I asked him if he would drive me to ubud + day tour. He said IDR 150k one-way to ubud (cash, off uber) several times. I repeated this price back to him several times slowly and clearly for confirmation. I booked the trip with him and organised a time for pick up in the morning. Later he texted me saying he had made a mistake with the price, should be IDR 350k. Fair enough, but I cancelled nonetheless.
Tip: helps the drivers to find you amongst the hoards of tourists if you text them telling them what you look like and exactly where you are "I have long blonde hair and am in a green shirt and yellow pants in front of the blue frog cafe".
Uber quote Kuta to ubud was 100-150k IDR, I have heard of drivers trying to extort more once you get in the car.
Uber has been great on this trip. Most of the Bali taxi drivers / touts / mafia are very anti-uber / grabcar. I would not wish for the uber drivers to be beaten up by the mafia, so am very careful to maintain secrecy whilst using uber in Bali.
Tip: book uber discreetly away from prying eyes. Once you receive the text, memorise the driver's name and licence plate number. DON'T walk around holding up the uber app.
Some drivers fudge their licence plate numbers e.g. App will say ABCD1234 but the actual plate is ABDC1243. I can understand, given the current anti-uber sentiment.
Most uber drivers here speak limited English and are not familiar with tours. They are drivers, not tour guides. Almost all will try to negotiate with you to book them for a day of driving (off-uber).
You have to pay all tolls and parking, on top of uber.
Please feel free to ask me anything.
1. Denpasar airport to Kuta. Booked my uber using free airport wifi. My pickup location was set as international arrivals or similar - I guessed the uber would come to the signposted pickup area so walked around the area looking for the licence plate. Was stalked by several taxi drivers / touts along the way, in particular one persistent one. I told all the touts I had a driver sent by a local Indonesian friend picking me up. At last I spotted the licence plate and got in #likeaboss i.e. Tried to look cool as if I knew the driver ��. The persistent tout followed me to the door and closely scrutinised the driver's face and licence plate. cost from airport to Kuta was under 25k IDR.
Tip: Tell the touts your driver is picking you up.
Using uber at the airport can be difficult and stressful as there are so many cars. This is whilst trying to look like you're not using uber and avoiding the touts. If you don't mind spending a bit more using your hotel pick up service or the official taxi booth, may be worth it.
2. Kuta beach to Uluwatu temple and back to Kuta. Total cost on uber was under US$20. I paid the driver IDR 50k (US$5) per hour of waiting time in cash. He picked me up in Kuta, didn't end the trip at Uluwatu and kept the uber meter going until I got back to Kuta. No hassles at Uluwatu since the touts didn't know I was in an uber, they all probably thought he was a regular driver.
Tip: was extremely worthwhile tipping the driver to wait at locations where there is no convenient transport back.
3. Uber from Kuta to local shopping disctrict. The final bill exceeded the uber quote. Driver was 5 star and spoke reasonable English so I asked him if he would drive me to ubud + day tour. He said IDR 150k one-way to ubud (cash, off uber) several times. I repeated this price back to him several times slowly and clearly for confirmation. I booked the trip with him and organised a time for pick up in the morning. Later he texted me saying he had made a mistake with the price, should be IDR 350k. Fair enough, but I cancelled nonetheless.
Tip: helps the drivers to find you amongst the hoards of tourists if you text them telling them what you look like and exactly where you are "I have long blonde hair and am in a green shirt and yellow pants in front of the blue frog cafe".
Uber quote Kuta to ubud was 100-150k IDR, I have heard of drivers trying to extort more once you get in the car.
Uber has been great on this trip. Most of the Bali taxi drivers / touts / mafia are very anti-uber / grabcar. I would not wish for the uber drivers to be beaten up by the mafia, so am very careful to maintain secrecy whilst using uber in Bali.
Tip: book uber discreetly away from prying eyes. Once you receive the text, memorise the driver's name and licence plate number. DON'T walk around holding up the uber app.
Some drivers fudge their licence plate numbers e.g. App will say ABCD1234 but the actual plate is ABDC1243. I can understand, given the current anti-uber sentiment.
Most uber drivers here speak limited English and are not familiar with tours. They are drivers, not tour guides. Almost all will try to negotiate with you to book them for a day of driving (off-uber).
You have to pay all tolls and parking, on top of uber.
Please feel free to ask me anything.
Jan 25, 2017, 7:30 pm
#47
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Sydney, Australia
Programs: QFF Bronze, EK Skywards Blue
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Hi jamito, thanks.
Yep, my conversion was an estimate. Way too many zeroes and millions in rupiah... I may have paid twice but at the end of the day I paid max US$20 (just under IDR 185 000) for a drive from Kuta to uluwatu and back, plus a tip for the waiting time. Was good enough for me, so didn't quibble the difference.
I paid all the tolls and parking as far as I am aware. Peanuts, so again didn't quibble.
Yep, my conversion was an estimate. Way too many zeroes and millions in rupiah... I may have paid twice but at the end of the day I paid max US$20 (just under IDR 185 000) for a drive from Kuta to uluwatu and back, plus a tip for the waiting time. Was good enough for me, so didn't quibble the difference.
I paid all the tolls and parking as far as I am aware. Peanuts, so again didn't quibble.
Last edited by adventuroustraveller; Jan 25, 2017 at 7:36 pm
Jan 25, 2017, 7:38 pm
#48
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Hi jamito, thanks.
Yep, my conversion was an estimate. Way too many zeroes and millions in rupiah... I may have paid twice but at the end of the day I paid max US$20 for a a drive from Kuta to uluwatu and back, plus a tip for the waiting time. Was good enough for me, so didn't quibble the difference.
I paid all the tolls and parking as far as I am aware. Peanuts, so again didn't quibble.
Yep, my conversion was an estimate. Way too many zeroes and millions in rupiah... I may have paid twice but at the end of the day I paid max US$20 for a a drive from Kuta to uluwatu and back, plus a tip for the waiting time. Was good enough for me, so didn't quibble the difference.
I paid all the tolls and parking as far as I am aware. Peanuts, so again didn't quibble.
Uber quotes USD $5.49 to $7 one way from Kuta, at this moment.
Jan 25, 2017, 7:38 pm
#49
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Jan 25, 2017, 8:10 pm
#50
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You stated on one trip, that the trip cost more than the Uber estimate. This could be because they added a toll to your bill (Benoa Bay toll bridge), or you had horrid traffic.
For long waits, I have had a Uber ride where we had a visit to the doctor, followed by a lunch. The distance was 10km maximum, and waiting time was 2 hours. We were charged for a 60-70km trip. Always pays to check your receipts.
For long waits, I have had a Uber ride where we had a visit to the doctor, followed by a lunch. The distance was 10km maximum, and waiting time was 2 hours. We were charged for a 60-70km trip. Always pays to check your receipts.
Jan 25, 2017, 8:42 pm
#51
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Sydney, Australia
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Hi jamito,
Thanks.
I had a look - for Kuta to Uluwatu and back I was charged IDR 190,000. 50kms. 2.5 hrs. All figures rounded up. Plus IDR 50,000 cash tip to driver. In the breakdown I can see base fare, distance, time and distance surcharge. The time component Which I assume included the 1hr waiting time at Uluwatu was 60,000 IDR.
On The way the driver did say there was traffic and so he had to detour. May or may not have been true, how would I know.
For my airport uber - no tolls in the breakdown.
had I refused to tip the driver the 50,000, he would likely have left me in Uluwatu and at the mercy of the Uluwatu taxi mafia. Any suggestions on what would be a good course of action under these circumstance? I guess I could have negotiated on the tip but at the end of the day it was AUD$5.....
Thanks.
I had a look - for Kuta to Uluwatu and back I was charged IDR 190,000. 50kms. 2.5 hrs. All figures rounded up. Plus IDR 50,000 cash tip to driver. In the breakdown I can see base fare, distance, time and distance surcharge. The time component Which I assume included the 1hr waiting time at Uluwatu was 60,000 IDR.
On The way the driver did say there was traffic and so he had to detour. May or may not have been true, how would I know.
For my airport uber - no tolls in the breakdown.
had I refused to tip the driver the 50,000, he would likely have left me in Uluwatu and at the mercy of the Uluwatu taxi mafia. Any suggestions on what would be a good course of action under these circumstance? I guess I could have negotiated on the tip but at the end of the day it was AUD$5.....
Jan 25, 2017, 8:51 pm
#52
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Sydney, Australia
Programs: QFF Bronze, EK Skywards Blue
Posts: 94
When you say you were charged for 60-70kms but the physical distance was 10kms - do you mean that the price you paid was the equivalent price for a 60-70kms drive because the waiting time bumped up the price? it would have been impossible for the driver to take a 60-70km drive instead of a 10km drive to push the meter up as you would have been able to see it on the app. Unless uber is amending the figures before they are released to you via your app/account but that's far fetched.
Jan 25, 2017, 8:57 pm
#53
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Sydney, Australia
Programs: QFF Bronze, EK Skywards Blue
Posts: 94
One thing learnt in Bali - take uber estimates with a grain of salt. Due to the notorious traffic and drivers possibly taking detours, final fares can be a bit higher than estimated.
Overall uber has been a less stressful experience than negotiating with the touts. All cars so far have been in good condition.
Overall uber has been a less stressful experience than negotiating with the touts. All cars so far have been in good condition.
Jan 25, 2017, 10:57 pm
#54
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Hi jamito,
Thanks.
I had a look - for Kuta to Uluwatu and back I was charged IDR 190,000. 50kms. 2.5 hrs. All figures rounded up. Plus IDR 50,000 cash tip to driver. In the breakdown I can see base fare, distance, time and distance surcharge. The time component Which I assume included the 1hr waiting time at Uluwatu was 60,000 IDR.
On The way the driver did say there was traffic and so he had to detour. May or may not have been true, how would I know.
For my airport uber - no tolls in the breakdown.
had I refused to tip the driver the 50,000, he would likely have left me in Uluwatu and at the mercy of the Uluwatu taxi mafia. Any suggestions on what would be a good course of action under these circumstance? I guess I could have negotiated on the tip but at the end of the day it was AUD$5.....
Thanks.
I had a look - for Kuta to Uluwatu and back I was charged IDR 190,000. 50kms. 2.5 hrs. All figures rounded up. Plus IDR 50,000 cash tip to driver. In the breakdown I can see base fare, distance, time and distance surcharge. The time component Which I assume included the 1hr waiting time at Uluwatu was 60,000 IDR.
On The way the driver did say there was traffic and so he had to detour. May or may not have been true, how would I know.
For my airport uber - no tolls in the breakdown.
had I refused to tip the driver the 50,000, he would likely have left me in Uluwatu and at the mercy of the Uluwatu taxi mafia. Any suggestions on what would be a good course of action under these circumstance? I guess I could have negotiated on the tip but at the end of the day it was AUD$5.....
From 20 minutes at a grocery store to up to 2.5 hours during a dinner and hospital visit, and never a problem.
An Uber driver is almost always happy to wait, since they get paid for waiting, and don't have to go all the way with an empty car.
I'm sure it can be difficult to find drivers around Ulawatu. I find 1 driver nearby at the moment, but having one wait and paying the standard standby fee is smart. Oh, and watch out for the cheeky monkeys!
You won't pay a toll, unless you use the toll road. If you stay in Sanur, Benoa, Nusa Dua, they will often take the toll road.
Feb 1, 2017, 9:41 am
#55
Join Date: Oct 2016
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Hi jamito, thanks.
Yep, my conversion was an estimate. Way too many zeroes and millions in rupiah... I may have paid twice but at the end of the day I paid max US$20 (just under IDR 185 000) for a drive from Kuta to uluwatu and back, plus a tip for the waiting time. Was good enough for me, so didn't quibble the difference.
I paid all the tolls and parking as far as I am aware. Peanuts, so again didn't quibble.
Yep, my conversion was an estimate. Way too many zeroes and millions in rupiah... I may have paid twice but at the end of the day I paid max US$20 (just under IDR 185 000) for a drive from Kuta to uluwatu and back, plus a tip for the waiting time. Was good enough for me, so didn't quibble the difference.
I paid all the tolls and parking as far as I am aware. Peanuts, so again didn't quibble.
Feb 4, 2017, 6:36 pm
#56
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Bangkok
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Titanium, BAEC Silver, TK Miles & Smiles Elite
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I just got back from Bali staying at the Four Points Seminyak so get extra SPG points for using Uber. I didn't do my research before I left and so didn't know that there's a massive issue using Uber on the island. However, we did manage to do our airport runs using the app after a while...
Arriving at the airport we were surprised how much hassle you get from various drivers from the moment you leave immigration. We've been all over SE Asia, lived here for five years, and I think Bali airport is the worst we've experienced. No matter, I used airport wifi to order an Uber and the Uber app told me to go to the International Departures level to meet my driver. So we did.
We watched the driver head vaguely towards the airport and then turn away and eventually park up somewhere. I took screenshots of this behaviour. He stayed parked up for about 15 minutes before I cancelled. I was charged the cancellation fee which I immediately appealed against and it was credited back to my account. Same thing happened with the next driver. The third driver was the same as the second so I cancelled it immediately. Fourth time lucky, the driver phoned me on WhatsApp and told me (good enough English) she couldn't pick me up from the airport but could I walk to the airport entrance. We did this (no footpath but only about five minutes walk when we knew where to go) and met up with her. From there, a good experience and the cost was just under IDR50k. We subsequently felt astonished about how little this journey had cost us after we'd worked out the exchange rate a bit later.
My question is why the Uber app tells you to go to the International Departures level for a pick up (in theory a good idea as there are no touts there and it's not congested) when the drivers can't/don't want to come into the airport grounds.
Returning to the airport six days later I ordered an Uber at the Four Points which is down a long side road. We watched the driver park up on the main road and he Whatsapp'd me asking where I was (which is always irritating because I'm exactly where I say on the Uber app). I got an "ok" but then no movement. The Four Points concierge asked what I was waiting for and I told him at which point he told me that Uber was banned. I then got a message from the driver telling me that the hotel was in a red zone and he couldn't get me. I asked him to wait on the main road and we walked (only hand luggage) to meet him there. On the journey to the airport he pointed out the posters banning Uber and Grab. Journey price again just under IDR 50k.
So, my takeaway is that if you know the workarounds then you can use Uber in Bali however the journey prices they charge are so low I don't know why the drivers do it.
Arriving at the airport we were surprised how much hassle you get from various drivers from the moment you leave immigration. We've been all over SE Asia, lived here for five years, and I think Bali airport is the worst we've experienced. No matter, I used airport wifi to order an Uber and the Uber app told me to go to the International Departures level to meet my driver. So we did.
We watched the driver head vaguely towards the airport and then turn away and eventually park up somewhere. I took screenshots of this behaviour. He stayed parked up for about 15 minutes before I cancelled. I was charged the cancellation fee which I immediately appealed against and it was credited back to my account. Same thing happened with the next driver. The third driver was the same as the second so I cancelled it immediately. Fourth time lucky, the driver phoned me on WhatsApp and told me (good enough English) she couldn't pick me up from the airport but could I walk to the airport entrance. We did this (no footpath but only about five minutes walk when we knew where to go) and met up with her. From there, a good experience and the cost was just under IDR50k. We subsequently felt astonished about how little this journey had cost us after we'd worked out the exchange rate a bit later.
My question is why the Uber app tells you to go to the International Departures level for a pick up (in theory a good idea as there are no touts there and it's not congested) when the drivers can't/don't want to come into the airport grounds.
Returning to the airport six days later I ordered an Uber at the Four Points which is down a long side road. We watched the driver park up on the main road and he Whatsapp'd me asking where I was (which is always irritating because I'm exactly where I say on the Uber app). I got an "ok" but then no movement. The Four Points concierge asked what I was waiting for and I told him at which point he told me that Uber was banned. I then got a message from the driver telling me that the hotel was in a red zone and he couldn't get me. I asked him to wait on the main road and we walked (only hand luggage) to meet him there. On the journey to the airport he pointed out the posters banning Uber and Grab. Journey price again just under IDR 50k.
So, my takeaway is that if you know the workarounds then you can use Uber in Bali however the journey prices they charge are so low I don't know why the drivers do it.
Feb 4, 2017, 7:32 pm
#57
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I just got back from Bali staying at the Four Points Seminyak so get extra SPG points for using Uber. I didn't do my research before I left and so didn't know that there's a massive issue using Uber on the island. However, we did manage to do our airport runs using the app after a while...
Arriving at the airport we were surprised how much hassle you get from various drivers from the moment you leave immigration. We've been all over SE Asia, lived here for five years, and I think Bali airport is the worst we've experienced. No matter, I used airport wifi to order an Uber and the Uber app told me to go to the International Departures level to meet my driver. So we did.
We watched the driver head vaguely towards the airport and then turn away and eventually park up somewhere. I took screenshots of this behaviour. He stayed parked up for about 15 minutes before I cancelled. I was charged the cancellation fee which I immediately appealed against and it was credited back to my account. Same thing happened with the next driver. The third driver was the same as the second so I cancelled it immediately. Fourth time lucky, the driver phoned me on WhatsApp and told me (good enough English) she couldn't pick me up from the airport but could I walk to the airport entrance. We did this (no footpath but only about five minutes walk when we knew where to go) and met up with her. From there, a good experience and the cost was just under IDR50k. We subsequently felt astonished about how little this journey had cost us after we'd worked out the exchange rate a bit later.
My question is why the Uber app tells you to go to the International Departures level for a pick up (in theory a good idea as there are no touts there and it's not congested) when the drivers can't/don't want to come into the airport grounds.
Returning to the airport six days later I ordered an Uber at the Four Points which is down a long side road. We watched the driver park up on the main road and he Whatsapp'd me asking where I was (which is always irritating because I'm exactly where I say on the Uber app). I got an "ok" but then no movement. The Four Points concierge asked what I was waiting for and I told him at which point he told me that Uber was banned. I then got a message from the driver telling me that the hotel was in a red zone and he couldn't get me. I asked him to wait on the main road and we walked (only hand luggage) to meet him there. On the journey to the airport he pointed out the posters banning Uber and Grab. Journey price again just under IDR 50k.
So, my takeaway is that if you know the workarounds then you can use Uber in Bali however the journey prices they charge are so low I don't know why the drivers do it.
Arriving at the airport we were surprised how much hassle you get from various drivers from the moment you leave immigration. We've been all over SE Asia, lived here for five years, and I think Bali airport is the worst we've experienced. No matter, I used airport wifi to order an Uber and the Uber app told me to go to the International Departures level to meet my driver. So we did.
We watched the driver head vaguely towards the airport and then turn away and eventually park up somewhere. I took screenshots of this behaviour. He stayed parked up for about 15 minutes before I cancelled. I was charged the cancellation fee which I immediately appealed against and it was credited back to my account. Same thing happened with the next driver. The third driver was the same as the second so I cancelled it immediately. Fourth time lucky, the driver phoned me on WhatsApp and told me (good enough English) she couldn't pick me up from the airport but could I walk to the airport entrance. We did this (no footpath but only about five minutes walk when we knew where to go) and met up with her. From there, a good experience and the cost was just under IDR50k. We subsequently felt astonished about how little this journey had cost us after we'd worked out the exchange rate a bit later.
My question is why the Uber app tells you to go to the International Departures level for a pick up (in theory a good idea as there are no touts there and it's not congested) when the drivers can't/don't want to come into the airport grounds.
Returning to the airport six days later I ordered an Uber at the Four Points which is down a long side road. We watched the driver park up on the main road and he Whatsapp'd me asking where I was (which is always irritating because I'm exactly where I say on the Uber app). I got an "ok" but then no movement. The Four Points concierge asked what I was waiting for and I told him at which point he told me that Uber was banned. I then got a message from the driver telling me that the hotel was in a red zone and he couldn't get me. I asked him to wait on the main road and we walked (only hand luggage) to meet him there. On the journey to the airport he pointed out the posters banning Uber and Grab. Journey price again just under IDR 50k.
So, my takeaway is that if you know the workarounds then you can use Uber in Bali however the journey prices they charge are so low I don't know why the drivers do it.
We are always proactive and call the driver up. It helps, of course, to be able to speak the local language.
There are taxi "mafia" guys who scan the apps for drivers in the area and may attack them. They'll write down plate numbers and such. It's a sad state of affairs. I wouldn't be so loyal to Uber and Grab if the airport taxis weren't such ripoff's. I'd have no problem paying for a metered Blue Bird Taxi, or other reasonably priced taxi. Instead you get the 2-4x more expensive ripoff ones.
In Bandung where we flew into, it's so bad that the Grab/Uber drivers turn their cell phones off before entering the area, so they can't be seen on the app. One driver told us a friend had been fined 300k IDR ($22) for entering the pickup area.
Feb 4, 2017, 9:24 pm
#58
Join Date: Dec 2014
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Well of course they do it for money but $3.75 for a half hour airport run is insane even by Uber's SE Asian standards. The cars were good (Honda City) and the drivers educated and well presented. I live in KL where UberX frequently results in a battered Perodua Myvi running on some of the cheapest petrol outside the middle east so paying $1 for a short local trip or $18 for a 60-minute airport run seems ok.
In Bali, though, the Uber pricing really seems unsustainabley low. Are they pricing to punish the taxi mafia? What would a metered taxi be for this journey? How much are the drivers really taking home? The moral hazard of using Uber is playing out on the streets of Bali.
In Bali, though, the Uber pricing really seems unsustainabley low. Are they pricing to punish the taxi mafia? What would a metered taxi be for this journey? How much are the drivers really taking home? The moral hazard of using Uber is playing out on the streets of Bali.
Feb 5, 2017, 1:51 am
#59
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Well of course they do it for money but $3.75 for a half hour airport run is insane even by Uber's SE Asian standards. The cars were good (Honda City) and the drivers educated and well presented. I live in KL where UberX frequently results in a battered Perodua Myvi running on some of the cheapest petrol outside the middle east so paying $1 for a short local trip or $18 for a 60-minute airport run seems ok.
In Bali, though, the Uber pricing really seems unsustainabley low. Are they pricing to punish the taxi mafia? What would a metered taxi be for this journey? How much are the drivers really taking home? The moral hazard of using Uber is playing out on the streets of Bali.
In Bali, though, the Uber pricing really seems unsustainabley low. Are they pricing to punish the taxi mafia? What would a metered taxi be for this journey? How much are the drivers really taking home? The moral hazard of using Uber is playing out on the streets of Bali.
The metered taxis are a bit more expensive. I'd guess 25-35% more.
Uber takes a cut off the top, 20-25%, I think. I'd guess that many tourists do tip or overpay and if they can convince a customer to hire them as a tour guide, off the clock, then they can make a weeks pay in one day.
Uber now has to compete with Grab and other services. In Jakarta, after the initial "honeymoon" period, their prices increased dramatically, including a lot of 2-3x surge pricing. Only after Grab came in with flat rate pricing, did they move to match them.
Feb 9, 2017, 8:13 am
#60
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: BRU & CGK
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Posts: 206
Well of course they do it for money but $3.75 for a half hour airport run is insane even by Uber's SE Asian standards. The cars were good (Honda City) and the drivers educated and well presented. I live in KL where UberX frequently results in a battered Perodua Myvi running on some of the cheapest petrol outside the middle east so paying $1 for a short local trip or $18 for a 60-minute airport run seems ok.
In Bali, though, the Uber pricing really seems unsustainabley low. Are they pricing to punish the taxi mafia? What would a metered taxi be for this journey? How much are the drivers really taking home? The moral hazard of using Uber is playing out on the streets of Bali.
In Bali, though, the Uber pricing really seems unsustainabley low. Are they pricing to punish the taxi mafia? What would a metered taxi be for this journey? How much are the drivers really taking home? The moral hazard of using Uber is playing out on the streets of Bali.
Spending most of my time in Jakarta, Uber prices in Bali (and taxi prices) actually seem expensive compared to Jakarta
Anyway, I think the reason for the cancellations might be that you can't speak Indonesian/Balinese or that they can't call you. And the reason they want to pick you up at departure might be because all the taxi stands are at the arrival level (and they really want to avoid the taxi mafia).