A Cheshire holidaymaker says he will never return to Hurghada after a taxi driver demanded more than the agreed fare and threatened to call the police. Scott had enjoyed two previous visits to the Egyptian resort on the Red Sea coast, but he said a taxi journey back to his hotel after a night out at a nightclub ruined his latest holiday.
Agreed fare dispute
Following advice from holiday reps, Scott and his companions agreed a total fare before getting into the taxi. However, he said the driver demanded payment per person when they reached their hotel.
Speaking to the Mirror, Scott said: "It was the strangest taxi journey I've ever experienced. We'd been told to always agree on a total price before getting in, so that's what we did. But partway back, the driver pulled over and went off to get himself some food."
Threat of police
He added: "When we finally got back to the hotel, he suddenly wanted us to pay per person. It felt like, these are tourists, we're going to rinse them." The dispute escalated when the driver threatened to involve the police. Unable to speak the local language and worried about how the authorities might respond, Scott said the group paid more than they had agreed to keep things calm.
"Honestly, it left me feeling really uneasy and quite vulnerable. We'd done everything we were told to do and agreed a total price before getting in, so when the driver suddenly demanded we pay per person, it felt like we were being taken advantage of just because we were tourists," he said.
Impact on future travel
"The worst part is how it's stuck with me. I'd been to Hurghada twice before and enjoyed it, but that one journey ruined the whole holiday. You forget all the good bits, and that's the part that stays with you. It's put me off going back for good."
Scott said he would now choose a taxi app wherever possible. "Now I'd use Uber or a local app wherever I can, because you know the price before you get in. Having one guide or site that shows you which apps work in each destination and what an average fare looks like would give people that confidence before they even arrive."
It's experiences like Scott's that led Confused.com to create its interactive global taxi guide. Travellers can search any destination to see which apps to use, what a typical fare looks like and the local tips worth knowing before they set off.
