Originally Posted by
SammySpade
You can download an app called easy taxi and order a taxi through there so everything is registered. The app will show you a pic of the driver and his plate number. I don't personally use it but a friend does and the taxis always arrive within a couple minutes and normally won't cost more than 2-3 soles extra.
If I get a taxi off the street for a visiting friend/family member going to the airport, I let the driver see me taking a pic of the plate with my phone. I do it sometimes too late at night if a girl is getting into a taxi solo.
Occasionally there is a problem with lima taxis, but its not that common and the danger is exaggerated.
I tried the service on several occasions, and have to say it's pretty efficient - often got a taxi very fast, and I certainly appreciate the features adding to security: picture of the driver, plate, gps etc. I haven't tried them to/from the airport as I'm generally picked up by family, but they are probably the ones I would choose if I needed so.
A competitor (though the app is less "impressive") is satelital, which can also be called from a smartphone quite quickly.
On the rest, from my experience (I'm peruvian, but definitely do not look like one), i'd agree with what most people said: it's fine to take street taxis IF you know the way, IF you can communicate with them, and IF you know the precautions needed. I'd add that taking a taxi close to rough neighborhoods (callao being one of them) adds a bit of danger.
Finally, i'd add that, in recent years, both the efficiency (read: how fast they come when you call them) and the price of company taxis have improved; meaning that, while I used to take a lot of street taxis for convenience, I've done it a lot less in recent years.