One of the most oft-repeated bits of advice given to foreigners in Colombia is to avoid taking taxis off the street. It’s not that they’re all bad (far from it), it’s just that there have been incidents in the past, and people here would rather you avoid this kind of thing. So what do you do? You call your taxi.
But you just arrived, you don’t speak any Spanish, and the thought of picking up a phone and mumbling down the line to an innocent, unassuming Colombian fills you with dread.
Well, that’s where Tappsi comes in. Tappsi is an app for your smartphone that uses GPS to see where you are, and then sends a taxi to pick you up (taxi + app, geddit?!). It means you can avoid any awkward conversations down the phone, and also offers you an easy, secure way to grab a taxi. Drivers on Tappsi will always charge you the right amount and the app ensures that both you and your driver are safe.
On a personal note, I’ve always found the taxistas to be friendly, helpful and good drivers, too.
The service is quick (like, insanely quick), easy and best of all it’s being developed right here in Bogotá.
There are other apps out there that are intended to improve your taxi ride, but these tend to be innaccurate judges of the TaxiMetro or other gimmicks that don’t improve safety. So I’m happy to recommend Tappsi to anyone coming to Colombia.
Tappsi currently only works in Bogotá and Barranquilla, but the company are working to develop it all around Latin America.
To learn more about taking taxis in Colombia, check out this post:
And for more information on safety, check out our infographic: Safety in Colombia
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Ally on
Well, unfortunately that’s not true, since a DEA officer was murdered recently in a paseo millonario, and I know of 3 people who this has happened to. Tappsi sounds like a great idea except that you need to have a smartphone to use it, and no foreigner I know in Bogota carries anything as fancy as a smartphone. So, the awkward phone calls will have to continue for many of us…
Travel Adept on
Great writing as always Paul and team! Colombia is one of our most treasured destinations and the ‘paseo millonario’ is certainly something our travel team members haven’t seen or heard of in a while. A sign of the great destination Colombia continues being.
Paul Fowler on
Thanks for the comment! You’re right, we’ve heard of no reports for a loooong time. It’s slowly becoming a thing of the past, we hope.
Patty on
This blog is so informative. I will be trying this app and I never regret it when I set aside some valuable time to read here. Keep up the great work.
Paul Fowler on
Thanks for your comment, pleased to know we’re helping people!