Average taxi driver is not an owner of the car he works at. The owner's costs are fuel, car maintenance(roads are very bad+cars most often second-hand) and the radio taxi company's fee for the use of their operators(15-20bs per day).
If he's renting a car there's no maintenance, BUT he pays a rent of 100 bs for 24hour use. Many people share cars. One man works day shif, other night shift. The fee for renting a car for half working day is something like 60-70bs(if i remember correctly). Its dangerous job, its hot(many don't have aircon in their cars)its unhealthy and their cost of living is usually 110% of what they make in a month. Their cars are nearly never insured, especially if the taxi guy is the car owner..any accident means he lost his daily income, probably have no savings for repair=will need to borrow! other interesting thing I was is that foreign customers and the rich local passengers are the ones who try to bargain for the rides most often!!! (we're talking the standard charge that they would give to any passenger no matter the background)when it happens they have to call the central for the operator to say to the customer that this IS the price. And the poor people who live far away and they take the taxi because they run out of other(cheaper) option to get home(they are being charged a lot as its quite dangerous for a driver to take them to the remote location they live)..well those people pay without one blink of and eye and the word of complain! Also they get passengers who on arrival to the destination say they have not enough money or no money at all. (I've heard crazy stuff like they have taken customers boots to cover the ride!) It's not just one man's story I've heard that from a few and they all have similar experiences. Sad, isn't it? If you're here for holidays think how much it would cost you to get a cab to the airport back home? You think the cost of this ride over here is also higher then millage cost? Well.. If they take you to the airport they must pay an entry to the airport zone fee from they own pocket (before you pay them-means if you have no money in your pocket at the start of the day you must borrow or cant do this ride!) Then.. it is not supposed to, but happens anyway- the drivers(those i spoke to were not from same one company) pay a fee to the oparetor ladies if they will get an airport ride. (as it is such a good one). They told me they pay her 10 bs! So if you think they've earned a lot on this ride you're wrong. If you are on hols or are resident who can afford to travel by plane surely you can afford to pay them back that 'cost' in a form of a TIP.
Please tip the GOOD bolivian taxi drivers!
Aug 18, 2011 Rating
about $10-$15 a day by: Anonymous
You know I asked a taxi driver once if he did well and enjoyed his job. He told me that after paying for fuel and the radio he has to rent from the "radiotaxi" company he works for, he usually makes between Bs. 70 and 100 per day, equivalent to about $10-15 per day (and that's a roughly 10-12 hour work day).