One might see a taxi in Rundu and assume the procedure is the same as of those in the UK. However, there are several differences which I feel need to be mentioned.
At home it is advantageous financially to catch a taxi with a friend or two to split the cost, rather than travel alone. In Rundu it is charged per head at a flat rate. If staying on the main roads within the town it is N$8 (8 Namibian Dollars, where £1 is approximately N$12) and doubles if you want to be dropped down a more difficult road (e.g. deep sand roads); travelling from opposite ends of town; or travelling after 22:00.
This means drivers don't have to take the shortest route – not that this stopped my taxi driving through hedges and over a dusty football pitch. No quickest routes and charging per head means the more people in the taxi the better it is for the driver; regardless of destination. Consider two people, Paul and Frank, say, who wanted to go to different destinations. Paul and Frank are unacquainted. Paul is picked up first but Frank's location is slightly out the way. The taxi will pick up Frank, drop him off, then drop Paul off maybe slightly later than initially thought. Both are charged N$8. Simple.
To get a taxi you can phone for one. By that I mean literally one. You can call the driver if you are lucky enough to have their mobile number. No taxi agencies to send out taxis for you. Alternatively, and usually more conveniently, you can just wave one down.
Not all the taxi drivers are to be trusted. My colleague Gareth somehow ended up catching an illegal taxi where the driver was drinking a beer whilst driving and tried charging him four times the usual rate. A few others on our team got into a 4-seater taxi despite there being 5 who wanted to travel. This is seen quite often. On this particular occasion the driver was pulled over by the police for carrying too many people. The driver then told the police he had no license and was charged a fine of N$1000, which he haggled down to N$300. Whether he had a license or not is not clear since apparently it is easier to claim you don't have one and take a fine rather than take points on your license.
Credit must be given to the honest taxi drivers of Rundu though since most the roads are dust or deep, loose sand. It is often hard to see due to dust clouds left by the driver in front. Also it is extremely difficult to navigate the sand tracks without sinking. In the latter case speed is key to keep momentum making a lot of taxi journeys bumpy. Also most the streets don't have names and the houses no numbers and so landmarks such as schools and pubs are used for direction.
I will leave you with a money saving tip. If you ever find yourself travelling in Rundu always claim you only have N$5 (or N$10 if travelling in a pair) and the drivers usually accept.
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