Rs 350–600 fixed fares are the whole point here
Inside T2 arrivals at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International, the Prepaid Taxi Counter sells you a flat fare to most parts of Kolkata, usually around Rs 350–600 depending on distance. You pay at the desk, get a printed slip with taxi number and destination, then walk out to the prepaid lane and match the car to your slip. It runs under police oversight, which is why locals mention fewer arguments about meters or routes.
The counter sits just past baggage claim in T2, before you exit to the public concourse. It normally operates 24/7 in sync with late-night flights from carriers like IndiGo and Air India, so you can use it after a 02:30 arrival. You pay in cash (rupees) at the time of booking; cards are hit-or-miss, so plan to withdraw from an ATM in the baggage area first. Keep the top half of the slip with you until you reach your hotel or guesthouse.
Step-by-step: how to use the prepaid taxi counter
- 1. Follow signs to arrivals exit in T2: After immigration and bags, walk straight 50–100 meters; look for “Prepaid Taxi” boards on your left near the meeting point.
- 2. Tell them your destination: Say “Park Street”, “Salt Lake, Sector 5”, or give a hotel name; the clerk checks a printed chart and quotes a fixed rupee amount.
- 3. Pay in advance: Hand over cash; a central Kolkata ride (Esplanade / New Market area) typically prices around Rs 400–450. You receive a two-part slip with your taxi number clearly printed.
- 4. Exit to the prepaid taxi rank: Walk outside to the signed prepaid bay; it’s usually in the first or second lane from the terminal at T2, mixed with yellow Ambassadors and older sedans.
- 5. Match your car and hand over the slip: Find the car with that number on the windshield or side panel, confirm your destination, then give the driver the passenger copy. You don’t pay anything more unless you added extra stops.
What regulars do and what to watch out for
Locals on Reddit say they mainly use the counter at very late hours (post-23:00) or when traveling with elderly family, and otherwise call Ola/Uber for newer cars and app tracking. Complaints focus on older Ambassador cabs or worn-out sedans with weak AC, especially on humid days above 30°C, and on the fact that you cannot choose the exact vehicle once you’ve paid. Another pattern: when two or three flights land together, the line can stretch 15–20 minutes, while app cabs sometimes arrive in under 10.
One last tip: before joining the queue, check your roaming and app-cab wait times on your phone. If Ola/Uber shows a 20+ minute pickup from T2, the prepaid counter is usually the faster, lower-stress move, even if the fare runs Rs 50–100 higher than a textbook metered ride.