Kalkan Turkey Forum - EnjoyKalkan.com
Travel and Accommodation => Flights and Travel => Topic started by: Annie on August 07, 2008, 07:39:04 AM
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I have just booked a scuba diving day with the company in Kalamar Bay. Yesterday I got an e-mail saying they could no longer offer free transfers as there is a problem with the taxi drivers offering this service around Kalkan. Is this a recent development?
Also, I am having a turkish bath at the Asfiya, what is the best thing to wear and can I walk here, we are staying at The Emir complex. Any replies would be helpful. Thanks. Annie
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You can easily walk the 5 minutes to the Asfiya from the Emir and the staff will give you directions.
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Surely the ban on free transfers will start to affect trade. If you added up the cost of a return taxi to the kalamar beach club, entry and lunch/drinks for a family of 4 it would be huge. i think i would rather stay by the pool.
Does this mean that Adem no longer does his free transfers to his restaurant either.
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What next with the taxi drivers? A boycott of the petrol station for supplying fuel to those that have had the cheek to buy cars?! Outlawing the offering of lifts to people unless confirmation is given that the driver and passenger are related or have known each other for x years?!
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You do have to wonder how much further this restrictive practise will go.
Surely, this type of behaviour can only be viewed as a restrictive practise that impinges on other peoples basic human rights to make a living without fear or intimidation. (And no I am not some limp wristed liberal quototing the human rights act). It just seems so obviously wrong, that a small group of people can cause so much upset to others. In other towns such as Kas the taxi drivers can not get away with this sort of behaviour, as there are alternatives such as Dolumus''s and the town is far easier to get around. The other thing is that Kas has a large native Turkish population and an equally large amount of Turkish visiting on their holidays who simply would not put up with this behaviour.
I actually think that it simply boils down to greed and lets screw the wealthy foreigners.
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Adem gave us a return lift to his restaurant in his own car in June.
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I just find it extraordinary that local business are allowing themselves to be bullied in this way. Surely they must be aware that this is/will have an knock effect on their businesses and they way visitors view Kalkan in general. Is the Mayor (not sure what powers he has) actually aware of the negativity this is causing and if so does he care! Is there Don Corleone/Mr Big of the Taxi''s that everyone is afraid of?
Isis
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I have just returned and it appears that the Taxi drivers are above the Law. they have stopped the free hotel shuttle services from the hotels, Beach clubs,Dive centres & supermarkets, and even though the Samira Deluxe has all the legal papers (so i was told) to offer the service, the Taxi drivers physically, and I mean Physically, prevented the bus from running. When the Taxi drivers were challenged, the Taxi drivers became very abusive shouting "English to Go Home"
Well Mr Taxi Drivers, I am now "home" and I will not be returning to Kalkan
People will vote with their feet, Kalkan is not the only nice place in the world, so on balance with the construction, the increased hassle from restaurant''s greeters, and most of all the above disputes, i will be looking elsewhere.
Did I have a great holiday, yes of course and the friendliness of the Turkish people is as good as it has ever been and all the guys at the SD could not do enough to make our holiday great - Thanks!
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I am getting heartily sick of all of this, taxi''s dictating, crime wave etc and for the first time am considering not returning next year to Kalkan and we have visited twice a year since 2000!!
Restrictive practices and security issues now dictate where I stay in Kalkan and it is all becoming less attractive.
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Well we voted with our feet this year.
We decided not to stay in Kalkan, but to rent a villa on the peninsular in Kas. We had a wonderfull stress free holiday and lets face it, its only a 25 minute drive into Kalkan, which we did twice, with one evening spent at adams and the other at the Sofra. I''ve got to say that Kas is far more cosmopolitan than Kalkan and what a real pleasure it was meeting lots of Turkish people on holiday which you do not get in Kalkan. I think we had the best of both worlds.
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How sad is this to hear from these last two posts, but I can''t say I''m surprised
It it worth a letter/peitition to someone somewhere, anyone any ideas, or would we be wasting our time.
We would be happy to put our names to one.
Isis
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My husband is a ''black cab driver'' (not to be confused with mini cab driver) in London and would like to know if these sort of restrictive practices could be brought in here. If no one could use any other means of publice transport we could be on our way to being millionaires providing he had the physical stamina for all the work that would be available. :D :D
Fortunately we are staying at the Samira so won''t be needing a taxi, however our friends are staying in a villa and if they want to drink in the evenings this will add a considerable extra expense to their holiday.
Are the water taxis charging to go the beach clubs as well? We always make several trips to Mahal beach club.
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Sorry meant to say this previously if all the ''English go home'' what would happen to Kalkan - as far as I can see there is no other industry/jobs other than the tourists and owners?
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"if all the ''''English go home'''' what would happen to Kalkan?"
They will have killed the goose that laid the golden egg!!!
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The fact that people have no choice but to use taxis to go anywhere that is not within walking distance does not bode well for the future of tourism in Kalkan. Once people have visited and get wind of the situation surely it will put them off coming back unless they have very deep pockets! As villa owners who love Kalkan we will not be deterred by the taxi mafia and will be hiring a car or scooter in future for trips to beach clubs and shopping etc and walk to the village and back in the evening. Fortunately our villa is within walking distance but I pity the folk who have no choice but to use a taxi after enjoying an evening out (and a drink). Some of our guests this year commented that the cost of taxis and the expense of eating out for a family meant that they spent more time at the villa and only ate out every 2 or 3 nights. This trend would obviously affect local bars, restaurants and beach clubs and will mean less fares for the taxi drivers - ''Shooting oneself in the foot'' and ''Poetic justice'' springs to mind but unfortunately this will not just apply to the taxi drivers.
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I''m still curious as to how beach clubs like the Kalamar operate within this system.
Last year they would pay your taxi fare as you arrived, then give you a lift home in one of their vehicles.
Do they still pay your fare when you arrive at their club?
Do we now have to pay for our own lift home in a taxi?
Would much appreciate a recent report on how it works now, then we can see if we need to budget a trip or two into our holiday spends.
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The first time i came to Kalkan i stayed at the Kulube who used to run a transfer into town several times a day.. Unfortunately due to its location at the far end of Kalamar bay the cost of a taxi would now make this an unlikely choice. luckily we are staying at the Pasha and will therefore walk to and from town . however it seems unlikely that we will go to any of the beach clubs this year unless it is to possible to walk down to the Yali (dont know its new name.)
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It makes my heart sink to read posts from people who have contributed much to this forum, like Jofoss and Bluefudge, saying they are not returning to Kalkan. Is it really that bad??? :( :(
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Hi
Kalkan is as lovely as ever! We have had a few issues recently, but we all know there are so many positives in Kalkan.
It is a shame that we don''t seem to be focussing on the good things at the moment. Perhaps we should start again - and remind ourselves how lovely Kalkan can be?
Em
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It would be great to focus only on the positive things in kalkan, and there are many people who try to do this and there are many positive threads on here, but we all know we have to get around when we are here and in such extreme temperatures we can''t walk up and down the very steep hills here, so we NEED transport and on holiday away from home we rely on the local transport whatever it is. Here it''s taxis, and when people read about the high prices of taxis and in-fighting they are naturally outraged. The same goes with the burglary stuff, people want to relax on holiday not come here in fear and worrying about getting robbed at night, or having their children gassed. We''re powerless to stop the taxis because we are foreigners who have no political say here and likewise we can''t be assured of a better police force
It''s the fact these issues are left unresolved and a big problem for tourists that they linger on.
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You have to remember that Brits are world class at focusing on the negative items in any situation......
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Jofoss ... if all the English leave, the Germans, Dutch, Russians and Scandanavians will come to replace them. Saw this happen on the Côte d''Azur in France also.
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Em
Risky stuff, suggesting that we accentuate the positive. Any previous attempt to do so has been likened to sweeping Kalkan''s problems under the rug, as has suggestion that we try to maintain some sense of proportion. As Misty says, where would the average Brit be without anything to moan about (this relates to the taxi-related comments, far less to the crime wave strand)? I doubt that I will ever consider not returning to Kalkan, but I wonder if avoiding this previously marvellous forum might be a way forward.
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Eniste,
Hope you done avoid the forum, with the new MMR policy the old days of "flaming" others are long gone.. as will the member be if they try it! ;D
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John
For what it''s worth, I am going nowhere (fast)! I still quite enjoy a bit of banter on here.
Strange that your MMR policy was introduced just as reports of measles outbreaks appears in the news! If we have the jab, do you think we will allstart being positive about Kalkan again?
Nick
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;D I was wondering what measles had to do with the forum. !!!
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MMR - Member Mutual Respect or Measles, Mumps and Rubella?
It''s just a little joke. Please DO NOT think that Kalkan has now been struck down with a measles epidemic, even if pestilence is the next plague due, just before the locusts.
Sorry to have tried to raise a titter and clearly failed. I''''ll get my coat...... Taxi!!! (just to keep this on topic)
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Cosetta,
Perhaps it was a rather flippant response on my part. Indeed others will come and of course not all will stay away. However, the issues remain and there seems to be no way of resolving them. This has gone on since last summer and seems to be escalating.
I will be back again in September and am looking forward to it as always. I just feel that my ability to enjoy all that Kalkan has to offer is now limited by the restrictive pratices being employed.
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well we have just had communication from the travel company to state that the free shuttle from the samira deluxe is no longer available. Ah! well good exercise for us and we hopefully will loose weight, walking up and down the hill, even with all the good food,
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Remember that the road is now a dead end.....unless you fancy jumping down a good few feet onto the new road.....we stay just above the SD and used to catch the bus...infact it was stopped last year but its a nice walk into the village.
We will plan our new route next Monday when we arrive.
Misty
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no jumping for me, well it will be an experience, I do not know the place as it is my first time, still looking forward to the holiday no matter what happens
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Just out of curiosity - there are some 50+ taxi drivers who seem to be able to impose their will on the supermarkets - hotels - beach clubs - restaurants -and even maybe the Jandarma and the Belediye
These others must have some influence, so why don''t they do something collectively to halt this situation which must be causing grief to all of them.
What mystical hold do these drivers have and on whom and why?? - does anyone know ?
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I think maybe us Brits do like something to moan about, (take the weather for example) BUT far more so use brits will not stand Bullies who are acting above the law and I believe that is why this subject creates such passionate responses.
yes of course there are many great things about Kalkan but lets no kid ourselves it is paradise.
Human nature will focus on what spoils a holiday rather than what makes a holiday. If what spoils a holiday can be eliminated by going elsewhere then that''s what people will do. (at least that is what i will do).
For all that are staying at the Samira Deluxe in the near future -You will have a great holiday and the route into town is pretty much unchanged (no jumping required).
I have taken a number of photos showing where the road is and a view from the SD (PM me if you want copies)
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at the samira deluxe today nice place sitting at the bar now walk into town not bad back up a long way!
have not used a taxi out of principal apart from going to the kalamar beach club 15 lira each way.
no shuttle buses no lifts from the shops but they will transport the shopping.
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So the Kalamar don''t pay for the taxi to their beachclub anymore, pas8?
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Surely if they stopped supermarkets from delivering, they could charge even more for carrying baggage!
I agree with blue fudge that Kalkan is not paradise, but it is hardly EnjoyKalkan Safety - Text Censored province either, which seems to be the overall picture presented to a new poster here. Human nature is not always to look on the dark side (unless, like me, you support Spurs). I think that once this storm in a teacup blows over, human nature for many will be to remember the good times we have all had in Kalkan, how the positives hugely outweigh the negatives and block out the all-powerful cabbies and some other annoyances.
Those that choose to move on - good luck finding somewhere better. Perhaps you can send us an EK postcard if/when you do!
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Mrs B - kalamar Beach club are no longer allowed to pay for taxis either way - though they have reduced sunbed hire slightly to try and compensate.
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Thanks for the info, bluefudge11...makes budgeting for the hols a bit easier.
Mr B is gonna have a grumble about this as he enjoys getting taxis and not paying for them!! ;)
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Hi Kevincat98,
In answer to your question, not that I know, it might be worth trying to get to the bottom of some of the local politics in Kalkan. We''ve all heard about some of the less pleasant stuff that goes on here, perhaps it''s time to ask why.
Remember every taxi driver and member of his family gets a vote
whereas villa owners and tourists don''t.
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Hi Kalkamp
I am sure that is part of the answer - but I just wonder why they don''t see where this could lead
Whilst villa owners and tourists don''t have a political vote they can very easily vote with their feet and not come here !!
But why are the drivers apparently allowed to break the law and strongarm other parties into submission - that''s what we need someone to find out
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Hi Kevincat
Well I think that''''s where they''''ve got us. Villa owners are unlikely to abandon there villas even if they could afford to, and if they sell, it''''ll be to another villa owner. Villa owners will do everything in there power to keep a happy smiling Kalkan image because they want the rental income from the foreign tourists of which there are a potentially infinite number.
I think that local politics may go something like ''''If you vote for me I will guarantee xy&z for you'''' and ''''the newly found wealth from the tourist trade will be divided amongst ourselves thus'''', I don''''t think it''''s quite the free for all it appears, it''''s probably much more organised, This is a small town, outside business isn''''t welcome because it upsets the agreed cakesharing already in place
Shuttles cut into the taxis business so they feel agrieved, without them there''''s more cake
What we do as tourists without a vote is up to us, but if you don''''t get in a taxi someone else will
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I don''t care about taxis disputes, burglary''s, or any of the other negatives things,I LOVE KALKAN and cant wait until 18th August and have just booked the New Year there too 8)
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Do we think its time to lock this ?
Welcome your opinions
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personal opinion is that it shouldn''t be locked. In the feint hope that anyone with any influence in Kalkan is reading this then locking the subject may make them think that tourists don''t care about the subject. It seems that it''s pretty obvious that many people do care and are angry at the current situation. Only my opinion of course and others are entitled to disagree.
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More than happy not to lock it if there is still new viewpoints or comments to be added :)
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Agree with itstime - can''t see the need to lock this thread.
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I didn''t mean literally ''I don''t care'' I do care, but it won''t stop me going, I was just feeling excited about going and thought ''What the hell I don''t care about these things''. :-X
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Jon
Keep it open as this is a serious topic that effects everyone here - whether it be tourists or residents
It seems symptomatic of some Turks views be it taxi drivers - restaurants or builders - that foreigners are only here to be exploited
It really needs to be sorted out otherwise it will be to the detriment of everyone - including the Turks themselves
Kalkan is already the most expensive place in Turkey and people will go elsewhere
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The whole ''taxi dispute'' will not stop me going to Kalkan but i will make sure that i stay within walking distance of the Town. I just feel very sorry for those individuals who own business either up on the top road towards Kas or far out in Kalamar bar. If the situation continues surely visitors will just hire cars and the taxi drivers will still get no business
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I have just heard from a Taxi driver who tells me that business is very bad!! This must mean that the boycott of taxi''s and people walking is starting to have an effect. If we all keep walking something must eventually give. I know this is difficult when your villa is way up the hill, but you could always get a taxi just half way and walk the rest. It''s worth giving it a try and tell the taxi that you can''t afford the whole journey. I take the taxi up from the harbour to the taxi rank and then walk the flat part along the Kalamar Road-they don''t like it but I always tell them the fare is too much for the whole journey.
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Jon
I would like to see the thread remain open, at least for a little while. the taxi debate was locked last time and i don''t understand why ? the level of contribution to this thread demonstrates the passion for improving Kalkan and getting it back to what it once was. To lock it would be to "brush it under the carpet" as has been remarked upon
There are many more pages /threads on say restaurant reviews so to lock for reasons of repetitiveness does not stack up.
The rules of the forum should of course be respected at all times.
I think that the taxi drivers should try and find ways of optimising their business - look for opportunities, such as offering villa owners a competitive discount if their guests use a particular driver, doing a deal with the supermarkets and beach clubs and restaurants to encourage the use of taxis. Campaign to be allowed to operate at a rank in the harbour area to give guests a cheap way up the steep (albeit short) hill etc etc.
if it comes down to politics and the voting of the locals, then surely even the taxi drivers who are eventually forced out of work will think twice on where they place their X on election day along with all the other locals whose businesses have failed due to decline rather than expansion.
If this forum can make a difference due to the continued concerns of visitors and villa owners then maybe, just maybe someone will listen.
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A side effect of the high taxi fares will be a change in the make up of visitors to Kalkan.
We have a large villa that in the past was let out to large families or two families traveling together. Over the past five years, we had built up a number of regular visitors, but after last year when they arrived to find taxi fares doubled and our arrangement with the Samira Deluxe for them to use the hotel shuttle cancelled, all decided to holiday elsewhere this year.
We have managed to replace these bookings but mainly with groups of 8-10 young people (so far the villa is intact) fo whom the taxi fare is not such an issue as they either walk to and from Kalkan or split the taxi fare.
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From talking to our local friends, problems began because the Samira Deluxe offered not only a shuttle service to their guests but to all the local villas. Apparently the shuttle ran continually, taking people into town and back as well. I can understand how this would have caused huge resentment to the taxi drivers, who were obviously seeing a lot of potential custom taken away from them.
Of course, it has now got completely out of hand and unfortunatley their actions are going to harm local business in the long term. We usually spend several days of our holiday at the beach club at Kalamar but because this time we had to pay for taxis we only went once. The problem there is that the beach club paid the drivers a flat rate for a taxi ride regarless of where it came from in Kalkan and they now want the journeys metered.
The only way I see things being resolved is if a rival taxi company started up in kalkan or that some sort of compromise is made between the local businesses and taxi drivers.
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Jayne,
Your friends are misinformed, the Samira Deluxe had been offering use of its facilities including the shuttle bus for many years (at least 6 to my knowledge). In fact many of the local villas were built by the owners of the Samira and use of the shuttle bus was part of the purchase agreement.
Regards
Alan
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Hi Alan
I do not dispute that the service ran for many years, however what started as a shuttle operted solely for guests and a then a handful of villas, extended to everyone in the area, both into town and back.
Jayne
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whilst there last year (august) SD were operating shuttle bus for guests only (intermittently between taxi abuse), and at set times of the day not continually.
whilst I was there this year they tried operating the shuttle bus for guests only at set times (only lasted one day before being closed down)
It appears the SD have tried to compromise
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I''m sorry but I don''t quite understand what all these exchanges of grievances are going to achieve? We all know that the taxi drivers are out of order but what can anyone do about it by posting these stories? If the owners of the various apartments and hotels can''t or won''t do anything about the situation then what good is it doing when we all moan about it? What is needed is some of the more influential people of Kalkan to become involved, how this is done I am not too sure but a lot of us must know perhaps one person who could voice our concerns to the relevant authorities. Yes businesses are suffering but if they are complacent about it then the only thing to do is boycott the taxis. I know it is a matter of concern to a lot of people as to whether to drive or not to drive but to pick up a car at the airport and drive yourself instead of getting a transfer will cost as little as £135 per week, the current rate for transfers is around £90, yes the tank has to be filled and petrol is expensive but you would have a vehicle at your disposal for the duration of the holiday. Taxis are costing from £4 per trip, multiply that by 2 (round trip) and then by numbers of trips during your stay and a hire car soon becomes a much more attractive proposition. We always advise guests to hire and we have found a good company which we always recommend. Seeing surrounding areas is poor bonus and quite frankly I find driving in Turkey a pleasure, stay away from the bigger towns and the roads are a doddle and on the whole very quiet.
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I am not sure what these exchanges will achieve other than keeping forum members informed about things that are going on in Kalkan (oh wait a minute isn''t that the point). What is the point of continually telling people that the restaurants are good in Kalkan or the people are friendly or the views are great. Are we suggesting that we should only continually discuss the good things?
I think the more the issues are highlighted and discussed then the more likely something may be done,
If i had booked through a travel company and sold a holiday that included a shuttle bus then i would be asking how I would be compensated for the extra cost of a Taxis - maybe the likes of Thomson have some influence.
Hiring a car is fine unless of course you fancy an Efes or two with your meal and your transfer is not included as part of the price of the holiday
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I was told but cannot confirm that some local gov folks are occasionally reading this forum, and I think they do know that people are disgruntled over the taxi issue. However, taxi licenses are part of the spoils. The few times we rented or lent our villa, we informed our guests they needed to rent a car and they did so with no complaints or problems.
I don''t see the point of closing the thread simply because it is the only outlet for foreign guests to highlight what needs to be improved and this issue is decidedly a problem. If Kalkan gets a new local government in 2009, maybe a new solution will be found.
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Headroom
I am not sure whether you live in Kalkan or not but your view that everyone should hire a car - wow !!
Have you tried to get into the centre recently or park - it''s a nightmare - we need less cars here, not more
As for you advising guests to hire - as bluefudge11 rightly says who wants to drink and drive here [or anywhere] so people don''t come into the village at all
It may be that your guests and other villa owners guests don''t want to hire a car - and don''t want to pay for expensive taxis and eventually don''t want to come
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My OH has a good idea when it comes to taxis, he says why don''t people just bring more money with them to cover the extra taxi costs.
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Can anyone tell me what the taxi fares are? For example to go from the taxi rank to Kalamar Beach Club, from the taxi rank to the Samira?
Taxis are very expensive where I live (Eastbourne area) & it would be interesting to know what the Kalkan prices are.
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hel66
The people who previously rented my villa had plenty of money to pay for their taxi fares but thought that they would rather go somewhere else and not be ripped off. Hope your OH occasionally has some better ideas.
Regards
Alan
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Eastbourne may be expensive, but you should try Norway, Taxis here are really cheap compared to there
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So you know the price of taxis in Eastbourne, Hel?? Did you enjoy your visit here?
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Sorry Sally, when I said ''here'' I meant Kalkan, not Eastbourne.
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OK, Hel - get your meaning now!!
I''d still like to know prices (in Kalkan) if anyone can oblige, pretty please?
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kalamar to samira deluxe 16 lira three days ago, three trips anywere in a day and it is cheaper to hire a car for the day here atm with a car.
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A few weeks ago, on the older thread (Shuttle Service, I think) I raised an idea that I thought would be a good solution to this problem - a local bus service that covered all of Kalkan, including Kalamar, Kisla and Kiziltas. No one seemed to pick up on this.
Given the taxi situation and the fact that, as kevincat99 pointed out, the parking situation is horrendous in the village, this would alleviate the problem at hand. The fares would be far more reasonable than taxis and there would be fewer hire cars clogging up the harbour and streets in the evening. It''''s just a thought, but I have never understood why Kalkan doesn''''t have such a service when Kas does.
The only thing is I don''''t know who would be responsible for setting up such a service so I realise I''''m talking into thin air. But it is food for thought.
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A shuttle bus covering all of Kalkan is an excellent suggestion but is also probably a government initiative. Something the taxi drivers would fight tooth and nail. Let us all hope the local gov changes in 2009 and that we have a new one more interested in making those changes needed to encourage tourism and less inclined to dispense favors in exchange for votes.
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There is a local bus service. It runs at times to suit the Turks coming into Kalkan from Akbel and so on to work. The taxi drivers wouldn''t let it run to Kalamar on the grounds, apparently, there are too many English out there and if there was a bus they wouldn''t take taxis.
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We are in the Kalamar area and needed a taxi from the doctor''s surgery home. No problem to get one, of course...
But then the problems started in getting a receipt! The taxi driver didn''t have a booklet with him, suggested that we find/call him the next day. Which was useless as their English is really bad; they should by now know a bit more than just "Yes".
Suffice to say that we still have no receipt and even powerful Mustafa Akdeniz doesn''t want to argue with these people!
Lucas
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:-X Whilst I am one of the people who is not happy with the taxi/shuttle situation in Kalkan ,even considering changing from my favoured accommodation whilst on holiday in Kalkan,I think it is wrong to suggest that the taxi drivers should know more than yes or no in English.
I am always ashamed that after years of Turkish travel I am still not able to speak the language.A couple of years ago I met another holidaymaker who had taught himself,was fluent,and was actually reading Harry Potter in Turkish.
It isn''t mandatory for the taxi drivers to speak our language ,any more than it is for a London Cabbie to be multi lingual.
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I''m not asking for them to be multi-lingual, however a colleague of the same taxi company didn''t even know what a receipt is; he kept trying to sell us a taxi ticket. Only a younger boy understood us, mentioning we should ask for a "fiche" next time.
And aren''t they supposed to carry a booklet with "fiches"?
Lucas
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Probably you are right and I can understand your frustration.
One of the problems I think is that ,when I was there in June anyway....cant say for now .......is that they understood when they wanted to.
It is a sad situation ,not that I want to be accused of "gloom and dooom " mongering ,I shall always return to Kalkan,but I wont use taxi''s out of principle.
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The price of taxis is getting silly. Just like London prices, if not more, consdering the length of the journey. The taxi kartel seems like mob rule gone mad and I cannot believe that the Mayor allows it to happen. I am tempted to hire a car for a few odd days when I''m there and go elsewhere out of town for my food shopping. If I add up a taxi fare back to my apartment each evening (which is only up by the Gendarme) and the supermarket trips, it adds up to about £75 over the 2 weeks - add to that the £100 transfer and it''s the price of a flight! GRRRRR it makes me mad. What they don''t seem to understand is that by putting the taxi prices up, they will make less money as everyone is boycotting them. Kalkan will end up pricing itself out of reach. I realise that Kalkan is a special place but there is a limit to what is realistic on prices. Sorry will get off my soap box now!
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There are so many of us who are outraged by the taxi drivers'' conduct. We need a dolmus service here, particulary to the bus station and Kalamar. Could we not petition the Mayor? After all, we home owners and visitors appear to be the only source of Kalkan''s income. I wish I could write the petition myself but am ashamed to say that after 5 years living here, my Turkish is abyssmal - old dog, new tricks syndrome! However, there are some very eloquent people who contribute to the Forum who might be willing to help with the Turkish??
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Who actually owns the Taxi Company?
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??? The Mayor maybe,or is he a taxi driver.?
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taxi drivers will tell you fares are set by government....several trips to the same place along the same route will reveal several different prices! Why don''t they have a board up saying prices to the relevant hotels? e.g Samira delux,Xantos,Patara prince etc? then people would know they aren''t being ripped ..anybody had the "taxi meter" when asked how much..then after a couple of minutes of driving he starts tapping the meter then says "sorry Kaput"...then tries to charge you a stupid amount?i paid what i paid on the trip in and threatened to call the Jandarma..he understood enough of that!..having spent aprox £160 in taxi fares last year i won''t stay anywhere now thats not easily walkable....they get nothing ;)
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We have never used a taxi in Kalkan and probably never will - I suppose we are lucky having an apartment so close to the centre and so close to the bus station but that''s exactly why we chose it... but I can really sympathise with those for whom it is becoming an essential cost.
I think if I were in that situation I would just hire a car and stick two fingers up at them. Although that doesn''t get round the drinking problem does it?
Whatever, the point is that although Kalkan is lovely, there are plenty of other lovely places in the world and not everyone who visits Kalkan regularly is shackled to it because of owning property there. If these guys aren''t careful they will kill the golden goose...
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When I as in kalkan in july the taxi rank was full of cabs waiting for fares,and at night it was jammed,
looks like they are losing money,maybe they will have to look at the prices very soon.
In july we used a taxi just once,we were staying at the grace apts, just over the gule supermarket on the kalamar rd,my wifes feet were hurting and she had a strop so we got a cab from the rank,it would take about five mins to
walk to the apt,I timed the taxi trip, 15 tkl for a 15 second trip !!!!!!! he didnt get a tip
Neil. :o
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Neil
I think you''ve been had. It''s only 8YTL to our apartment opposite the Yelken (12YTL after midnight). I always look over the front seat to make sure they have the meter running, most do but there are the odd few who try it on.
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Whilst everyone is digging at the taxi drivers! Please remember the cars in Turkey are far more expensive than in the Uk and the petrol is possibly the most expensive in the world.
Whlst in Fethiye recently we went on a trip and were picked up by taxi ''free of charge''. The company we had booked the trip with obviously had an arrangement with the taxi company. Maybe some local businesses in Kalkan could learn from this - the dive centre has certainly put up it''s prices (petrol again?), but they could probably afford to work with the taxi drivers to still offer free transfers to clients.
Kalkan is not the only place to have high taxi prices. We were in Greece last year and paid similar prices. I think we have all got use to thinking about how Kalkan use to be, and maybe have forgotten that prices go up and people still have to make a living,
Failing wanting to pay, walking is free - go to town in your trainers and keep your high heels ready for when you get there - you''ll be fitter and slimmer when returning to England, and don''t forget the supermarkets will still deliver your food without charging, just not you.
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We were charged 16 YTL from the Palm Beach Club to our apartment and when we gave the driver a 20 YTL note he said he had no change, this seems to be a ploy they are using regularly. He was also the most miserable man I have met in Turkey.
A few weeks ago a taxi driver tried to charge the 17 year old friend of our daughter 800 YTL to travel to Kas and back when she was taken to the medical centre there in the early hours of the morning. They managed to get the price down to 200 YTL, still a shocking amount.
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Yes, 200 lira does sound a lot but let''s remind ourselves how much it costs for a minicab to your chosen airport in the UK, certainly my trip cost used to be about 55 pounds from Essex to Gatwick, a trip of about 40 miles, and that was one way! The Kas trip was 2 ways, and in the early hours of the morning. Did the driver have to wait?
Petrol is more expensive here in Turkey, inflation is running at around 10% and we Brits are feeling the pinch at the moment because we insist on converting the costs back to pounds and with the rate at 2.25 lira to the pound (it was hovering around 2.6 only a few months ago) it seems even more expensive.
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Tes I think the taxis in Kalkan are more expensive than in the U.K.
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Same question as yesterday.
Who actually owns the Taxi Company??
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I would like to say that my regular taxi driver is an absolute gem! We have used him for over 20 years and have never been overcharged or let down on a transfer to and from the airport. Despite petrol prices increasing he has still kept prices reasonable. He is also very fair with my guests who all rave about him! I actually don''t need to use a taxi daily as I live near the village centre, but agree with the comments about high taxi prices for short journeys (I don''t use him for these as he is always busy with transfers and day trips) I have discussed this problem with him and will try to help bring this matter to a satisfactory conclusion. As he is one of the original drivers (in the days when no-one in Kalkan had a scooter or a car) I know he does have some influence on the taxi rank. We all need taxis and the taxis need us, I will report back any progress or suggestions.
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;)Can you report back that very nice mans name too please,so we can all use him.Thanks.Chris. :-*
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I arrived back home from Kalkan yesterday, first time to Kalkan but not the first to Turkey. On our first evening our apartments (Samira Deluxe) put its shuttle bus service back on and took us into town. When we returned at 11pm for the return trip our driver had been surrounded by angry taxi drivers who were threatening him (he''d already been beaten up the previous week). My husband went to our driver and told him that we didn''t want him to get in trouble and that we would not be using him or the taxi drivers we would walk back to the SD this we did for the whole of our holiday as the shuttle bus was withdrawn again. That same night we were followed by a taxi full of taxi drivers shouting "Go back to England". Our first encounter of Kalkan will sadly be our last. My 2 children were terrified and I don''t think there is an excuse for this bad behaviour. Surely these Taxi drivers are not above the law and someone should be doing something about them sooner rather than later, can you just imagine what would happen in the UK if our Taxi drivers started telling the holiday makers to go back to their own countries!!!!!
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HIi karen, sorry to hear about your trouble with the "taxi" drivers,this is getting frightening now and needs
to be sorted before someone gets seriously hurt !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IF YOU ARE ON THIS SITE MR MAYOR,GET YOUR FINGER OUT AND DO SOMETHING !
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I am saddened to read that,and you will miss a beautiful place to holiday in Karen.
I know how you must be feeling because I have suffered intimidation from taxi drivers when I have holidayed alone in Kalkan . it is difficult to explain until it has been experienced.
It is certainly not something that children should be subjected to.
I think this will go on and on........ I remember this happening at least three summers ago and it gets worse.
Chris
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Mustafa Raki, make sure you show your taxi chum Karen''s distressing post >:(
We''ve never used taxis in Kalkan, other than a free one once to Kalamar Beach Club and we will walk there(and back :o) next year if we have to. We should all vote with our feet and the pounds we lose will not be from our holiday money.
Karen, how awful this must have been for you and your children - I''m so sorry this is your lasting impression of a place as beautiful as Kalkan.
When are the restaurants, bars and shops going to wade into this debate? If everyone stayed in their villas and apartments to avoid the walk or taxi fare their businesses will suffer too.
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Totally agree K4e, the hotels,shops,bars and eating places need to get involved, otherwise they are going
to start losing money,the hotels out of the centre must be already,with people choosing accomadation in
town so they dont have to use a taxi.
Neil. >:D
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i think Kalkan will be feeling the pinch next year...less people will be going ,friends of ours won''t be going for the first time in many years due to the mortgage situation and other increases,flights etc..people that do will be watching money more,maybe eating in more ,no matter how nice the restaurants are,one item not needed that can be done away with is taxi fares,people will stay centrally or near to the village as fidimax says
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sorry to hear you were caught up in it Karen, It makes me so mad GRRRRRRRRRRRR!
The SD shuttle bus operation has all the legal papers required so who the hell do these guys think they are! Why are the police not doing anything?
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I think someone asked who owns the taxis, www.kalkantaxi.com/advise gives info on the company and who
owns it.
Neil >:D
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I don''t understand why the taxi drivers are fireproof ???
How can all the bars, restaurants, hotels and shops stand by and let this affect their businesses? They are mostly local and surely have a vote? We need to let those people, whom we''ve come to think of as friends that own or run businesses in Kalkan, know the extent of the feelings on this forum and how it will start to affect them, if not this year..then certainly next.
They may think people will either walk or hire cars...we always walk, but we''re a bit mad like that hence my belief I can tackle the hill coming up from Kalamar Beach Club :o , but why hire a car to drive round Kalkan??? There''s never anywhere far enough for the air con to even start work...people will think, "well I''ve got a car, I can''t have a drink so we might as well try somewhere else outside of Kalkan to eat and shop"
Do those forum members who live in Kalkan know why this is allowed to continue and how it should be tackled?
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Thanks, Feds.
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Karen. If you really want a good laugh, look at the Kalkan Taxi web site. The link in Fidimax posting did not connect but dial it direct at www.kalkantaxi.com .
I would like to quote from it.
"Up to now, the guests who have come firstly as clients to our organisation returned to their countries as our friends. This is a result of our service''s good quality and our sincere service understanding." !!!!!!!!
Our Mission - "To create value for our clients and to be higher than your expectations with a good quality, timing and sincerity" !!!!!!!!
I think that they must have had Alister Campbell write this.
It also tells you who the owners are. All I can say is that they must be greatly respected in the local community, for the good works that they are doing on behalf of Kalkan.
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I''ve just had another post I made (about 5 minutes ago) not appear? Here goes again:
Thank you for a very sensible post, John.
I don''t own a property in Kalkan but if I did & was letting it out I would want to get together with others & try to see the mayor and/or police to try to put my point of view. The words ''goose'' & ''golden egg'' come to mind.
If I were in Kalkan as part of a package I would definitely be bringing it to the attention of my rep.
I hardly ever use taxis in Kalkan - except to/from Kalamar beach club & when I have I''ve been met with nothing but courtesy & friendliness from the drivers.
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Karen. If you really want a good laugh, look at the Kalkan Taxi web site. The link in Fidimax posting did not connect but dial it direct at www.kalkantaxi.com .
Have a look at the price list as well!!! Bet it''s not current!
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Pete, did you click on the KTT link on the transfers page...it takes you to Kalkan Tourism Transfers...which I thought would explain how they can actually carry out airport transfers as I understood Kalkan taxis were not allowed to collect you from Dalaman, only drop you off...but instead it takes you to another site which you have to view whilst listening to Richard Marks singing " Now and Forever" Bizarre choice of song for the content ???
It appears to have been set up by a co-operative as a self regulating body and the Kalkan Taxi company appear to be a member of this association - perhaps we should lobby these guys?
John from the Feds, is this organisation a bit of a toothless tiger, do you know? If you''ve ever heard of them? We could e-mail them individually with our concerns - in a rational manner, naturally - the site is entirely in English.
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John
If these guys haven''t got the message by now they never will - whatever you tell them
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The taxi drivers run a co-operative. Some work, they all get paid. When the boat owners co-operative broke down, we were getting boat at trips at £5 a head.
You can get a taxi from Eminonu to the Otogar in Istanbul for 20YTL. It costs 8YTL to get a taxi the otogar from the first roundabout.
These people think we are stupid.
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Hi to you all,
Myself and my partner have been fairly frequent vistors to Kalkan over the last three years and like most people on this forum are in love with the place.
We stay at Paradise apartments high on the hillside directly overlooking the middle of the bay next to kalkantepe villas. The outstanding setting, a way out of town means that reliable transport is essential. Our friends Hilary and Kemal have been providing a regular free shuttle bus for Paradise guests for sometime now. Unfortunately this Summer (we have just recently returned), we also fell foul of the “taxi dispute†which I feel strongly if not resolved will have a detrimental long term effect on out of town villa owners and businesses.
While we were there, against all threats, Paradise managed to offer a skeleton shuttle service to and from town. Although, in common with earlier posts, on one occasion we were met with aggression and threats when trying to leave town. At least five or six taxi drivers surrounded the front of the bus arguing with our driver and generally being intimidating.
I really just wanted to add weight to the obvious points that have already been made in this thread. Whilst we were staying, each evening Paradise were dropping maybe half a dozen families in town to enjoy the nightlife, eat out, shop etc …. in short spend money in the town!. Some people I spoke to said that without a regular shuttle they might only come into town maybe one night in every three.
Can I urge the regulars to the forum who have friends and contacts in Kalkan to explain to them that the taxi drivers’ actions are likely to drive business away from town. Even though Kalkan seemed to buzzing whilst we were there, some bar and restaurant owners still complained that to us that too many people “stay in their villa†Let’s make them aware that currently the taxi drivers are contributing to this situation.
I don’t want to get embroiled in local politics, or arguments about whether the taxi prices are fair – I don’t think they are. I certainly don’t want to be told to bring extra money to cover it, or hire a car for two weeks etc. I would like the option to use a complimentary shuttle service throughout the main part of the day and evening as provided by any considerate and enterprising business. I may then choose to use the taxi service at other times as I have done regularly in the past. However, in common with others I will refuse to use them whilst ever they try to apply restrictive practices, hassle you whenever you are within 20 yards of the rank or supermarket and charge extortionate prices for even a very short journey, especially after midnight.
Sorry if my first post on the forum is a bit of a rant, but I/we love Kalkan, our friends Hilary and Kemal at Paradise, in common with many other owners and businesses, are working very hard to provide a fantastic all round holiday experience. Please use any influence you can to help resolve the “taxi issue as†soon as possible and certainly before next season.
KS
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kevsimo, you are so right but unfortunatley I think it may be a case of the green-eyed monster being at work here. The taxi drivers see the restaurants. beach clubs, hotels ect making money from tourists and want a larger piece of the cake. They cannot see the bigger picture, only that they are losing out whilst others are gaining. They have no interest in how others businesses will suffer, it''s their own self interest at stake here, however short sighted that is.
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last year was the first year in 23 years in Turkey i didn''t use one taxi.....i shall continue like it ;)
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Hi kevsimo
Good points well made - again
I have just booked Red Sea for next year , Ha! Mr Taxi drivers no more of your abuse for me!
(and overall cheaper than the "paradise" that is Kalkan)
I will still visit this site in occasions because I will never say never and there are a lot of great people here .
Thanks
BF
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Whilst collecting a friend from Dalaman airport yesterday I noticed that the taxi fare to Kalkan was £85
On the basis that companies such as ABI and ADDA do it for £50 [and they have to provide the same resources as a taxi i.e. a car - driver - fuel and it is the same distance] and I assume they make some profit on the deal do the taxi drivers therefore make a further £35 profit
No wonder they want all the business !!
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I was out for dinner the other night with a group of holidayers, who''d made the mistake of not checking just how far their villa was,[a little further than the 10 mins quoted], and were so enraged by the unexpected added expense of the high taxi fare home, they said they did not need this kind of outrage whilst trying to relax on holiday, arguments and unpleasantness, and that they would not be returning to Kalkan in future. They said there are plenty of other nicer more facilitating places to go in Turkey.
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The sad facts are ...
1) The shop and restaurant owners don''t seem to be able to unite to exert pressure on the taxi drivers, yet they are or will be losing business and are the ONLY ONES who can maybe change this situation through a united front against the abusive drivers. Hotel owners and shopkeepers are intimated by the taxi drivers'' threats.
2) The Mayor grants the taxi licenses and could care less about this situation
3) The Mayor does not speak English and the only time we tried to see him, he refused
4) He does not read this Forum, no interest because in his view, for every tourist who never returns, new people come, even if only once. There are more people of other European nationalities now coming to Kalkan.
6) There are no police in Kalkan, only Jandarm. The Jandarm has zero authority over prices and taxi drivers, unless they attack someone.
7) These physical attacks have been going on for a number of years. A well-known Kalkan electrician was savagely beaten up a few years ago because he dared write a negative article about certain things going on in Kalkan.
As so many have said, vote with your feet!
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As so many have said, vote with your feet!
I fully intend to explore Kas when I''m out in September - I have a feeling this could be my last visit to Kalkan.
Most interesting & informative post (as ever), Cosetta.
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:( I can clearly remember having a panic attack three years ago (not a person who usually suffers panic attacks !!) because a taxi driver was so rude to us,and made me feel very vulnerable.As we were in Kalamar Bay staying a taxi home was necessary.
Each year since I have had to swallow the fear when using taxis,not realising that it was a widespread problem.
It was worse this year than before....... Cosetta,your post was really interesting.Chris.
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Chris thats terrible....why not stay near the village ..make the taxi drivers have a panic attack when they get no fares!! they get diddly squat from us ;)
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Is a small part of the problem they have just far too many taxi''s. If at the end of a night you had to wait 10 min or so as you would in England then that wouldnt be a problem, seems to me far too many taxi''s for such a small area, after all not many peoples taxi ride would be more than 10 min. Still think like other towns they should have a dolmus for the kalamar road area. No Chance.
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Vote with your feet - for those that know Kalkan - stay within walking distance and (like me) NEVER go near a taxi - unfortunately for the first timers - they will not be so lucky to have that advance knowledge - but for those seasoned kalkanites - that has GOT to be the answer.. (at least until somebody comes up with a solution to this terrible problem) I can''t begin to understand how frightening that experience must have been for chris >:D
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I am hoping sincerely that I can come back to Kalkan in October. :-* It is in balance.If we do it will be the first time in Kalkan that we have not stayed at the Kulube. :(
This decision has been made solely on the fact that I no longer wish to endure the need for a taxi at the end of a blissful evening.
I wish that I was fit enough to walk,but it will be the Meldi for us in October ,which is not a bridge to far to walk ,and I know that it will be as beautiful as being at the Kulube because nothing changes what we love about Kalkan.
:o These guys must not win.
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Hi Chris - rest assured that Kalkan awaits you - and the Meldi is a VERY special place - you will be completely smitten with it and the staff :-* - and you will be better off for not needing to use the taxis!!
Enjoy!
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:-* Thanks Felicity.!!
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Hi again,
Cosetta made some excellent points which reflect the information that I had also been given about the local situation.
Obviously sensible long term solutions lie within the local political & business community. The taxi drivers clearly need greater regulation in terms of how many operate, the prices that they try to charge and their threatening behaviour towards local businesses and tourists.
Clearly avoiding using them whenever possible and staying more local to town etc may start to hurt them financially. But as I mentioned in my original post my concerns lie with my friends at Paradise (and other villa owners) who are a little further out of town and risk losing business because greedy taxi drivers are dictating how they operate their business. I also resent the fact that the actions and attitudes of the drivers should start to dictate where myself and others can book our holidays.
I am encouraged that so many people are obviously in broad agreement, but also a little frustrated that nobody in the local community can apparently see the bigger, longer term picture. I will stop as I am obviously preaching to the converted, but once again appeal to everyone and anyone on the forum who can exert any local pressure to try to do so.
Many thanks KS
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Hi,
Being new to this forum, I have just spent about an hour reading through all the posts on this thread. As a non-drinking, car-owning Kalkan resident, I have never had occasion to use local taxis, but I sympathise with those who have. I am, however, affected by the situation – it is often impossible to park close to the local supermarkets because of the number of taxis parked immediately outside – their drivers then have the gall to accost me and mutter insults when I refuse their services.
I agree that boycotting will hurt the taxi drivers, but I don’t believe this is an effective solution to the problem. The number of cars in Kalkan has risen dramatically in the last year or so, partly perhaps because of boycotting, and Kalkan has only exacerbated the problem by increasing the No Parking zones. The parking problem can only get worse, particularly when the new development on the hill above Akbel, similar future projects and existing empty properties become populated.
It’s probably a good thing the Mayor doesn’t read this forum – as Cosetta has told us, criticising him is maybe not good for one’s health. To have the power they obviously have, taxi drivers are probably protected by a ‘higher authority’ – with a reputation for being a similar health hazard. ‘Kalkan Taxi ‘ is clearly not a ‘family business’ but a cartel of owner drivers. I would guess that the company is in a no-lose position, taking a percentage of takings but not having to compensate individual owners when they ‘go bust’. The Mayor is clearly responsible for issuing too many licences – I wonder why?
I think my ‘solution’ to the problem would be on the lines of:
- Cut taxi licences by 50%
- Provide a low-cost ‘park and ride’ service with 3 or more car parks. The new grossly under-utilised bus terminal car park could be one and others could be located at Kişla and Kalamar. Dolmuş should run at, say, half hour intervals (with a published schedule) and stop at strategically placed intermediate, clearly marked fare stages. This service could provide employment for drivers displaced by 1 above – if they’re not too greedy. A maximum of, say, 3 taxis should be allowed to wait at the car parks to take overflow passengers who don’t want to wait for the next bus.
- Taxi fares should be strictly regulated with appropriate fines for over-charging.
- Full-time Kalkan residents should have permits to use the limited parking space in the centrum.
I think our influential Turkish friends should be asked to put such suggestions to candidates for the next local elections and ask for the problem to be addressed in their manifestos. If not addressed, the problem will escalate and just be another nail in the coffin for Kalkan’s future as a tourist resort.
r2
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Is this dispute still going on? we arrive in 2 weeks, and usually we walk to the Kalamar beach club, but rely on a "free" taxi to take us back. Will this still be the case, or would we have to walk back up that hill?
Thanks, Jane
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Hi jane - unless anything has changed in the last few weeks - no free taxi to and from the Kalamar beach club.... >:( >:( :( Sorry
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Oh dear, they must really be suffering then, as I for one will not use the club if i have to walk back up that hill!
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Are they still running free water taxis to any of the beach clubs?
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Jane..if you ask them to call you a taxi, the man behind the bar will do so..... or he might say"madam!you are a taxi!!" ;) ;D
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John
Do you know what they are like uphill with about 3 litres of Efes onboard?
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Last night I learned some new information from an influential member of the Turkish community here regarding the taxi situation. Apparently some -- perhaps most -- of the shuttle buses and boats being operated by various hotels, pansyons, beach clubs and supermarkets did not have a license to offer these shuttle services legally. A general meeting of taxi drivers and businesses and hotels took place. The taxi drivers complained about the illegal shuttle services being operated.
Since then, some of these same establishments have applied for a legal license to operate shuttle services, and that should be forthcoming ... eventually. At least one hotel has gotten a licence and is operating a shuttle service.
It was suggested that anyone taking a taxi request and require that the taxi meter be operated throughout the journey, however short. If the driver will not oblige or says it is broken, don''t take that taxi.
The other suggestion, mentioned here already, is find a specific driver you feel is honest and reliable, take his phone number, negotiate a price with him but don''t broadcast it to others (or here online). And, very important, do not call your friendly taxi to pick you up at any supermarket. The supermarkets have assigned taxi drivers and an outsider coming to pick you up there will cause a fight, verbal or otherwise. Meet your driver a short distance away.
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I think the licence issue may be just a red herring used to try to justify stopping the shuttle bus services. When I was at the Samira Deluxe recently I was told the service was fuly licenced but this made no difference to the taxi drivers opposition to the service.
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Cosetta - are you saying that all the taxi boats operated by the beach clubs and hotels have also stopped now? I have asked this question a few times but noone has replied? Would be interested to know so that I can inform my villa guests.
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My understanding is that the beach clubs shuttles have stopped but as i don''t use them myself, hopefully someone else can confirm if any are operating or not.
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maybe the taxi cartell are going to run a yellow submarine from the harbour? >:D
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At last - the perfect solution to this problem. I will rent these out at £10 a week. Any takers?
http://arthousedesign.co.uk/powerblades/products.html (http://arthousedesign.co.uk/powerblades/products.html)
John ;D
No good for my mother in law then, weight limit 300lbs, she''d need 2 sets.
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Thanks again to Cosetta and r2 for a more informed opinion & some good suggestions. I do hope that there are genuinely moves afoot behind the scenes to resolve this issue.
With respect to the beach club water taxis, these were all running as normal two weeks ago. Particularly enjoyed the Palm Beach Club.
Regards KS
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beach club water taxis are running.