May I just say that the Bluebird Group taxi service in Jakarta is EXCELLENT. I had been advised to take only Bluebird taxis while in Jakarta as they offer great customer service, they are safe, they are reliable and they always use the meter. They take customer service very seriously and if you call up and file a complaint, the driver involved is going to be in serious trouble.
Our driver, S, used to work for Bluebird and he's great - he's safe, he knows all his routes, he's cheerful and he can speak a fair amount of English, which helps him to communicate with Dear Hubby. With me, we get by using a mixture of Bahasa Indonesia and Bahasa Malaysia.
The meter starts at Rp6,900 (approx RM2). A cab ride from Hotel Kristal to Pondok Indah Mall cost me Rp14,000++ (this was the incident where I couldn't subtract that amount quickly enough from Rp50,000 to gauge my change!) and the driver was so polite. They're the total opposite of some Malaysian cabbies who are rude and refuse to take you to places that they don't fancy or refuse to use the meter and charge you a silly fare.
When I first arrived in Jakarta, S told me about the Bluebird taxis and said there were different classes. There's Goldenbird which is the numero uno class, then Silverbird and Bluebird, which is your everyday taxi. I thought that was the end but S continued after a short pause, "... and also have Big Bird!" I thought he was pulling my leg and giggled. But it turned out he was telling the truth. Big Bird are the charter buses! I saw one when we were on our to the airport to fly home.
So remember, Bluebird Taxis are the way to go in Jakarta!
ah, expat wife, huh? & in bird-flu-ridden indonesia at that! but let's look at the bright side - you're now an accomplished multi-millionaire, rupiah-wise.
ReplyDeletejust like the recently concluded elections, no one can reasonably predict what's going to happen next, eg. look at man utd, chelsea & of course, ac milan!
thks for the link to your blog.
kh: Heh, yea.. a multimillionrupiahaire. Which doesn't count for much, really! Thanks for dropping by! *hugs* :))
ReplyDeleteI like this entry of yours. I work in a newspaper company in Jakarta and would like to ask for your opinion regarding taxi service particularly Blue Bird. Is there any way I can email or call you? Thanks a lot!
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