How to use InDriver in Colombia (alternative to Uber)
It seems that InDriver is hugely popular in Colombia and with Uber leaving this market, the popularity has only surged. But InDriver is a bit different from any ride-sharing app, and you will learn why.
Why I have used InDriver?
- hugely popular in Colombia, meaning that there are many drivers on the road => less waiting time, more options
- the cars are much nicer than taxis, you have A/C and enough space in the trunk for your luggage
- works even at Bogotá airport (El Dorado Luis Carlos Galan Sarmiento International Airport)
- you know the price in advance so you don’t have any surprises, like with Easy Taxi / Cabify
Where to download InDriver?
The first issue I had with InDriver was that InDriver was not available for download in the Play Store, as my Google Account not linked with Colombia. Not sure what the situation is with the InDriver App for iPhone.
So I have downloaded the app (technical name sinet.startup.inDriver) from an APK download site. Of course, this is not ideal, as you don’t know if somebody tampered with the package, but this was the only solution I could find. No risk, no fun!
Setup process
The setup process is quite similar to other apps. You give you phone number, details and you are ready to go.
After a few rides, I was asked to link my Facebook account. Not a big fan of this, but it seems that there is no way around this.
Your first ride
You enter your location and your destination and the price you are willing to pay. What??
Pick the best offer
The drivers will be notified by your request and you can select which driver you want to use. Sweet!
Some drivers may offer a higher price if they feel that your price is too low.
Expect that drivers will call you
Look, I don’t speak much Spanish and sometimes the accent makes it even harder to understand what people are saying. But every single time I have made a booking, instantly the driver called. I don’t know why, but this is how they do it here in Colombia. Maybe they just want to say there are coming.
Expect that you will need to tell the driver the address again
For some reason, it seems that the driver cannot see the destination you have given or does not know how — I don’t know. So he/she will ask you once more where you want to go. I am not sure what the issue is.
Cash is King!
I did not find a way to setup InDriver so that I can pay by card. So you need to have some cash with you, preferably not 50,000 bills.
Is InDriver legal in Colombia?
Look, I am no legal expert. It seems to me that InDriver is just as legal as Uber was or other similar companies operating in the Colombian market. It is basically the same issue that Uber and Uber-like companies face all over the world:
- they are disrupting a sector and trying to meet a need
- traditional taxi companies are fighting back and are not happy with competition
- the reality and what people want is not compatible with the current legislation
From a legal standpoint, it seems that the risk is more towards the driver (the one offering the service) and not so much toward the consumer.
I just wanted to inform you. I don’t encourage nor discourage you from using any service. You need to make that decision.
Let me know by writing a response below what you think about InDriver.
