Looking for a taxi that will take you from the airport and into your hotel in Santo Domingo is one of those little things that will make someone dislike the Central American nation. Taxis are fairly few in the capital, as compared to other major metropolitan areas. One still has to call a taxi agency, which will most gladly meet you at the airport with a taxi.
Given the shortage of taxis, it is thus not surprising why you will get charged high for the service. On average, you will be compelled to pay $25 to $40 for a taxi ride from the airport to the Greater Santo Domingo area, with an average tip of about $4 to $15 depending on the level of service that you expect. To sum it up, if you're trying to not spend so much money on your trip, then the Dominican Republic is not for you.
As a response to this growing issue, the national government has ordered at least 3,000 taxi units that will be used to service the Greatern Dominican Republic area. The first 700 of these yellow cabs, which were produced by Chinese automaker BYD, arrived earlier this week. The units will be financed by the government for eligible drivers, with 50% tax exemption.
This spells good news for the tourism industry here in the Dominican Republic. The government wants its visitors to feel that everytime they ride one of these standard-looking taxi units, they are getting serviced by taxis that are well-regulated by it. Standardization also gives customers the guarantee that the drivers, who will be oriented first, can deliver good service for everyone.
Ideally, pumping taxis into the metropolitan area may drive the fare rates down. If that happens, then I won't be surprised if more people get to visit the country as tourists. In the end, it will always be good news for the national economy.
