Why use a checklist to choose a taxi?
Most problems with a taxi trip start before it: a fare that was never confirmed, extras nobody mentioned, a car without a commercial permit, or a number that stops answering at night. Five minutes with a checklist, by phone or WhatsApp, avoids almost all of them.
This checklist is written by a taxi company, Shiv Shakti Tours & Travels in Becharaji, but every check works with any company, app or driver in Gujarat. Ask the questions, compare the answers, and choose the service that answers all of them clearly. Under each check you will see our own answer, so you can compare us too.
What are the 15 checks before you book a taxi?
Check the company, the car, the driver, the price and the service: a real address and GST registration, a commercial permit and insurance, the driver's licence, the right car size, a confirmed fare, the extras, the advance, the cancellation rule, the driver's details, GPS, a 24/7 number, a backup car, reviews and local knowledge.
- Find a real address. Ask where the office or branch is, and look it up on the map. A company with a fixed place is easier to reach if something goes wrong. Us: Hansalpur Circle, Becharaji, and Ghatlodiya, Ahmedabad
- Check the registration. Ask if the business is GST registered and can give a GST invoice. Registration means the business can be traced. Us: GST and MSME registered, GST invoice on request
- Check the permit and insurance. A car used as a taxi needs a commercial permit and insurance for paid trips; in India a taxi carries a yellow number plate. Ask to see the papers if you are not sure. Us: every car commercially permitted and insured
- Ask about the driver's licence. The driver of a taxi needs a commercial driving licence. Ask whether the company checks it. Us: each driver's commercial licence is checked before they drive for us
- Choose the right car size. Count passengers and bags. A sedan takes 4 passengers, a 6- or 7-seat MUV takes a family or a small group with luggage. Ask if the car has air conditioning and working seat belts. Us: sedan 4, Ertiga 6, Innova Crysta 7; air conditioning and seat belts in every car
- Get the fare before the trip. Ask for the fare for your exact trip before you confirm, and how it is worked out: per km, fixed, or by the hour. A fare you only learn at the end is the most common cause of disputes. Us: published per-km rates; fare confirmed before the trip
- Ask what is extra. Tolls, parking, state tax on trips to another state, a night charge, waiting time and a driver allowance on long trips are often extra. Ask for each one by name. Us: tolls, parking and state tax at actual cost; night 20%; 30 minutes' waiting free
- Ask about the advance. Some services ask for money before the trip. Know how much, how you pay it, and when you get it back if the trip is cancelled. Us: no advance; pay at the end by cash or UPI
- Know the cancellation rule. Ask until when you can cancel for free, and what you pay after that. Us: free at least 8 hours before pickup; charges once the car has left the garage
- Get the driver's details before pickup. You should know the driver's name, phone number and car number before the car arrives, so you can check you are getting into the right car. Us: sent before every pickup
- Ask about tracking. GPS tracking and a shared live location let your family follow the trip, which matters most at night and on long drives. Us: GPS in every car; live location shared on request
- Check that someone answers 24/7. Call the number late in the evening once. If nobody answers before you book, nobody may answer during the trip either. Us: +91 99745 30788, 24 hours a day
- Ask what happens if the car breaks down. A good service sends another car. Ask how, and from where. Us: a backup car is sent
- Read recent reviews. Read the latest reviews on Google, not only the star rating. Look for the same praise or the same problem in several reviews: being on time, clean cars, the fare. Us: rated 4.9 on Google
- Prefer local knowledge. A service based near your pickup knows the roads, the plant gates, the temple days and the traffic, and its cars start closer to you. Us: branch next to the SMG plant, in the Bahuchar Mata temple town
Tip: print this page. The checklist prints cleanly without the menus and buttons, so you can tick it off on a call.
What are the red flags when booking a taxi?
Walk away if the service will not tell you the fare before the trip, has no address, wants a large advance in cash, cannot send the driver's details, uses a private car with a white number plate for paid trips, refuses an invoice, or stops answering after you pay.
Seven red flags
- No fare before the trip. "We will see at the end" usually means a higher fare at the end.
- No address. Only a phone number, and no office anyone can find.
- A big advance in cash. Especially with no receipt and no refund rule.
- No driver details. You do not know who is coming or in which car.
- A private car for a paid trip. A white number plate means the car may not be permitted or insured as a taxi.
- No invoice. Nothing in writing about what you paid.
- Silence after payment. The number stops answering once the money is paid.
Should you book a local taxi company, an app or a driver you find yourself?
Each can work. A local taxi company is best for planned trips, outstation and airport runs and company transport, because the fare is agreed first and someone answers for the trip. An app suits short city rides. A driver you find yourself saves little and leaves you with no one to call.
| What to compare | Local taxi company | Booking app | A driver you find yourself |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fare | Agreed before the trip | Shown in the app; on some apps it changes with demand | Bargained each time |
| Long and outstation trips | The usual work, with a driver for several days if needed | Depends on the app and the city | Depends on the driver |
| Someone to call | The company, by phone | The app's support | Only the driver |
| Invoice | Usually, often a GST invoice | A receipt in the app | Rarely |
| Company billing | Monthly invoice and agreements possible | Depends on the app | No |
| Local knowledge | Strong near its base | Depends on the driver | Depends on the driver |
What extra checks matter for outstation and night trips?
For trips out of town, ask about the daily kilometre minimum, the driver allowance, state tax for another state, the night charge, where the driver rests, and whether the fare is one way or a round trip. At night, also ask for live location sharing.
- Daily minimum: some operators bill a minimum distance a day on round trips. Ours is 300 km a day.
- Driver allowance: a daily amount for the driver on long trips. Ours is ₹300 a day.
- One way or round trip: a one-way drop should cost less than a return. Ask which one you are being quoted.
- State tax: trips into Rajasthan or other states pay that state's tax, usually at actual cost.
- Night charge: ask when it starts and how much it is. Ours is 20% between 10 PM and 6 AM.
- Driver rest: on long days, ask how the driver rests. We give rest between duties and replace a tired driver.
What should companies check in a transport vendor?
Companies should check everything above, plus a written agreement, GST invoicing and a monthly bill, vehicle papers and driver checks, GPS reports, a backup plan, how employee data is kept private, and whether a trial period is possible before a full contract.
- A written agreement with timings, vehicles, responsibilities and renewal.
- GST invoices that list every trip, and a monthly invoice for approved accounts.
- Vehicle papers (RC, insurance, permit, fitness, PUC) and driver licence checks, shown on request.
- GPS portal access and trip reports.
- A backup plan for breakdowns and absent drivers, agreed for each location.
- Employee data seen only by the people who need it, and a confidentiality clause signed.
- A trial period on one route before the full roster.
We meet each of these for companies; the step-by-step process is in how to make us your transport vendor.
How does Shiv Shakti Tours & Travels score on this checklist?
We answer all 15 checks, and you can verify each answer: our branch on the map, our GST invoice, our published rates and terms, and our 4.9 rating on Google. Our limits are listed openly too: no cards, no app, and group fares on call.
The full comparison, with the proof for each claim and every service we run, is on our why choose Shiv Shakti Tours & Travels page. For a short answer, see where to find a reliable taxi service in Becharaji.
