Transportation - Taxis

There are more than 250,000 registered cabs in the city and they are one of the most efficient ways to get around. The prices are low, a fixed fee of about 6 pesos to get into the cab is normal , and about 0.7 pesos per quarter kilometer or 45 seconds thereafter, for the normal taxis (taxi libre).

The night rates, supposedly between 11PM at night and 6AM in the morning are about 20% higher. Some taxis "adjust" their meters to run more quickly, but in general, cab fare is cheap, and it's usually easy to find a taxi. At night, and in areas where there are few taxis, cab drivers will often not use the meter, but rather quote you a price before you get in. This price will often be high, however, you can haggle. They will tell you that their price is good because they are "safe". If you don't agree on the price, don't worry, another cab will come along.

Catching cabs in the street can be dangerous, since free-range cabs are not accountable to anyone. Taxi robberies, so-called "express kidnappings", where the victim is robbed and then taken on a trip to various ATMs to max out their credit cards, do occur, but there are some general precautions that will minimize the risk:

• Taxis have special license plates. The registration number starts with "L" or "A" for free-roaming taxis, and with "S" for base taxis (registered taxis based on a certain spot, called "sitios"). Base taxis are safe but cost more money.

• The taxi license should be displayed inside the taxi; usually it is mounted somewhere above the windshield. Check that the photo of the driver on the license is of the actual driver. Make a point of looking at it.

• Look for the meter. Without it they will be more likely to rip you off.

• If you are nervous, take base taxis only. These may be a bit more expensive, but are well worth the expense especially travelling at night.

• If you are safety-conscious or require additional comfort, consider radio taxis, which can be called by phone, and are extremely reliable and safe, although a bit pricier than other taxis. Most restaurants, hotels, etc. have the number for radio taxis. Radio taxis will usually give you the price for the trip on the phone when you order them. Radio taxis charge more than regular taxis, but are available all night. Hotel taxis will be significantly more expensive than site or radio taxis.

• As with absolutely everything else, risks are greater at night. At night radio taxis are recommended.

Mexico City is so large, and many street names so common, that cab drivers are unlikely to know where to go when you give only a name or address of your destination. Always include either the name of the colonia or the district (i.e. "Zona Rosa"), as well as any nearby landmarks or cross streets. You may be asked to give directions near the tail end of the journey; if either your Spanish or your sense of direction is poor, carry a map and be prepared to point.

At last count, the government estimated 26,200 rogue cabs were on the roads.

Legitimate drivers also fume at the city government's inability - or unwillingness, some maintain - to do anything about pirate taxis, which have diluted business and scared away assault-weary passengers. Tourist business is slack, as well, after the US and Canadian embassies urged citizens not to hail street cabs...

"The city has changed a lot," says Pedro Barrón Aguilar, 37, a cabby for 20 years who works for Taxi RadioMex, a radio-dispatch service. "People's negative image of the cab driver has affected us a lot - economically, too. Disgracefully, for all of us who are taxistas, pirate taxis have caused us very big problems," he says during a late-night tour of Roma neighborhood.