This article is full of useful phrases on how to order a taxi, how to communicate with the taxi driver, etc.

Applications like Uber are getting more and more popular in Russia and other Russian speaking countries. However, it’s still very common to order a taxi by calling a taxi agency number.

People usually have a couple or more taxi numbers saved in their phones. It’s typical that your friend gives a number to you saying: “Hey, use this number, these are good.” 🙂

Below, I have put together a few useful phrases, both the ones that you should use and the ones that you should expect from the other side (the agency operator, the taxi driver, etc).

Taxi Order – Заказ

So, you start by calling the number. An agency operator answers the phone.

They will ask you for your starting point:

Куда подать машину? – Where do you want me to send the car?

Где вы находитесь? – Where are you?

Or you can start the conversation straight away by saying:

Здравствуйте, я нахожусь (по адресу) … – Hello, I’m now at …

Можно машину на ближайшее время по адресу … ? – Can you please send me a car at … ?

For the starting point we should use the Prepositional Case to note where we are. For example,

Я нахожусь на Тверской, номер 34 (Тверская улица – famous street in Moscow leading to the Red Square)

Тверская улица → Тверской улице

Я нахожусь на Невском проспекте, номер 123. (Невский проспект famous main street in the centre of St. Petersburg)

Невский проспект → на Невском проспекте  

They will then ask for the destination point:

Куда ехать? – Where are you going?

Куда вы едете/поедете? – Where are you going?

Sometimes, you and your friends need to go to multiple points. So, you may say:

Сначала, по адресу … и потом … – First, we need to go to … and then to …

Первый адрес … и второй адрес … – First destination … and second destination ….

Едем в ….. (второе место) через …. (первое место). – We are going to …. (second destination) through … (first destination).

For the destination point we should use the Accusative Case to note where we are going. For example,

Я еду на Тверскую, номер 34. – I’m going to Tverskaya street, number 34.

Тверская улица → Тверскую улицу (Accusative Case)

Я еду на Невский проспект, номер 123. – I’m going to Nevskiy Avenue, number 123.

Невский проспект → Невский проспект (Accusative Case doesn’t change here)

Я еду на Красную площадь. – I’m going to the Red Square.

Красная площадь → Красную площадь (remember that nouns ending in a soft sign -ь don’t change in the Accusative, i.e. жизнь)

The operator will then say:

Ожидайте смс/звонок. – Await SMS/call.

It can happen sometimes that it will take a little bit more for the car to arrive. They may call you again saying:

Нет свободных машин. Будете ждать? – There are no cars. Do you want to wait?

You can then say

Будем ждать. – We’ll keep waiting.

Нет, не будем, спасибо. – No, we will not wait, thanks.

If you want to cancel the order you can say:

Отменяйте/снимайте заказ. – Cancel the order.

Or if you want, you can call and cancel the order yourself:

Здравствуйте, я хочу отменить заказ. – Hello, I want to cancel the order.

Interesting fact: It happened once that the driver called me right after I ordered the taxi asking me to call back the agency saying that I want to cancel. He said: “I’ll be there shortly but I just want to save some money as the agency are charging me a large commision of the tariff.” Well, I’m not entirely sure if I should recommend this to you but I did it myself. 🙂

Call back – SMS

Some agencies will just call you back and provide information about your taxi. Others will just send you an SMS. For example, you can see below an SMS I got the other day:

taxi-message

You get the following information:

  • The price of the trip – 90 hryvnias (I’m now in Kiev, Ukraine).
  • The time they will pick you up – 01:44.
  • The car’s plate number – AA5682OB.
  • The type of car – Дэу Ланос.
  • The driver’s number – 0963761826.

Communication with the Taxi Driver

From that point, you can just communicate directly with your driver. He may call you or you can call him.

You can also give him more specific information as to where you are exactly:

Тут находится ресторан/поликлиника/кафе/больница/гостиница ….. – Here, there is a restaurant, clinic, cafe, hospital, hotel…

The driver may also ask you more information:

Что там находится? – What’s there?

Sometimes, when you are at a big avenue there are a few different possibilities as to where you are exactly.

You can be just close to the big avenue. So, you can say :

С улицы – on the street.

Возле остановки автобуса. – Near the bus stop.

You can also be on a side street by the big avenue:

Я на фасадной части проспекта/улицы. – I’m on the side path of the avenue/street.

You can also be in a parking area near building complexes where people live. In that case, you should say:

Я во дворе. – I’m in the yard.

You can see my terrible sketch below:

streets-taxi

 

It has happened to me that the driver was not driving. He was racing! So, if you want to ask him to go more slowly, you can say:

Едьте помедленнее, пожалуйста. – Please go more slowly.

Не едьте так быстро, пожалуйста. – Don’t go so fast, please.

Getting off the Taxi

When you arrive to your destination, you can give specific destination to your driver as to where he should stop, pull.

На следующем повороте, (поверните) направо/налево. – At the next turn, turn right/left.

Всё прямо. – Keep straight.

Я выйду за углом/поворотом. – I will get out around the corner/after the turn.

Я выйду перед/за светофором. – I will get out before/after the traffic lights.

Здесь остановитесь. – Stop/Pull here.

Остановитесь напротив входа ресторана. – Stop just by the entrance of the restaurant.

He can also ask you:

Где будете выходить? – Where are you going to get out?

When you are about to pay, you can say:

Сколько денег? – How much is it?

Сколько с меня? – How much do I owe to you?

Какой был тариф? – How much was the price?

Какая была стоимость поездки? – How much was the price of the trip? (ok, maybe this sounds a little unnatural…)

Of course, don’t forget to say thank you etc. So:

Спасибо большое. – Thank you very much.

Всего доброго. – All the best.

До свидания. – Goodbye.

The taxi driver might say something like

Обращайтесь еще. – Hope to see you soon.