Using Uklon in Ukraine: Mini Data-Sheet
Uber is one of my 'essential' travel tools that I use all over the place, but for some reason there is still no Uber in Kyiv or anywhere in Ukraine for that matter. This is surprising to me, since Uber operates in a lot of other environments where they'd likely encounter corrupt officials (many mid-tier African and Asian cities even have it now!) and Uber operates in many cities throughout Poland and Russia which are not completely dissimilar environments.
Starting with my second trip to Ukraine, I wanted to make sure I had a reliable taxi app at my disposal because I had been in a precarious situation last time where I had to get a cab from the street quickly and had to pay a fairly hefty premium for my lack of Russian language skills. Beyond the cost savings and convenience advantages, I realized there is also some safety risk in getting into random cars in the street that purport to operate as taxis (not much in the way of official licensing or decals here). I downloaded Uklon because I'd heard from locals that they use it and like it, and it is also available in English. I realized there are many other taxi apps available in Ukraine also; I only have experience with Uklon.
If you have used Uber before, using Uklon will be fairly straightforward for you.
Some differences from Uber and some things you will want to note when using it:
-Uklon, unlike many other Ukrainian taxi apps, is available in English. The translations are pretty good for the most part, but not perfect. The biggest issues will arise in street names. Uklon won't necessarily used the same anglicized street names as Google Maps or Booking.com.
-When choosing the 'start' and 'finish' addresses of your trip, it may be easier to select 'choose on map' and place the location on a map rather than try to work out the anglicized street name. You can also save places you go to/from frequently as 'favourite addresses' to make selecting them more easy.
-Some pick-up locations can be confusing (e.g. 32B or 32/1). When you choose one of these addresses that doesn't go directly onto the street some drivers will find the right pick-up location and some won't. Unless you want to call your driver and are able to direct them in Russian, it's easiest just to choose the nearest normal street address to you as the pick-up location. If you live at a busy intersection, it may be easier to choose a location a few houses in to make it easier for them to find and stop at. You don't always have to input an address as the app is also loaded with some notable landmarks (e.g. you can select 'airport borispil').
-You pay the driver in cash, so unfortunately unlike Uber you will need to have Hrivnas on you. I have never had issues with any driver 'not having change' as is the case in my hometown sometimes and no driver has tried to rip me off by not giving me the right amount of change. When you pay at the end of your trip, your driver will not expect a tip (e.g. they will give you back exact change). I usually round it off to the nearest 10 and they appreciate it but do not expect it.
-You can select options above and beyond their most basic taxi. For example, you can select an 'english speaking driver' and your quoted fare will reflect about a 10% premium for this. I find that 'english speaking driver' really doesn't mean anything (I've never had one that is close to fluent, and it seems that any driver can self-select to be an 'english speaking driver' even if they speak 10-20 words). I wouldn't bother paying the extra for this.
-As soon as you submit your ride and a taxi accepts, you will be given the information such as ETA, car type and license plate number. In my experience, 90% of the time the driver will call you shortly after accepting the ride. This is not at all helpful since a) I can't communicate and b) It doesn't tell me anything beyond what the app already has (since it already says the ETA and the car model). Usually the driver will say some things in Russian and I will simply say 'English...taxi...okay' because there is no need for this call to be taking place. I simply go to my pickup point at the right time and 95% of the time everything goes smoothly. Maybe these calls are more for the driver to confirm it is a real human on the other end if they are going to use up gas driving out to some address.
-Unlike Uber, because everything is cash-based, there is no cancellation fee. If you change your mind or take another mode of transport because your driver is taking too long, you can cancel in the app or simply not show up for your ride. Nothing will happen except maybe the driver calling to yell at you in Russian. I don't think it impacts your ability to order another ride at any time. In my experience the driver taking too long to show up is not a problem; they typically arrive even before the stated ETA.
-You do need a Ukrainian phone number linked to your account before you can use the app (you get a confirmation code by text) and drivers will call this number if they need to communicate with you. This makes Uklon potentially unhelpful for you if you arrive at Boryspil airport but don't want to get a SIM card yet (they do sell them at the airport, however).
-If you order Uklon from Boryspil airport, there are three places the taxi could pick you up. 1 is for them to go in the short-term parking lot which is left when you come out of arrivals. They probably won't want to do this as they must pay to use it. 2 is for them to pick you up in the inner traffic lane in front of arrivals (where the 'authorized' airport taxis and Skybus wait). They probably can't do this because they are likely not from one of the airport authority's 'authorized' taxi company that can drive right up here. They will most likely pick you up at the end of the arrivals sidewalk (come out of the terminal, turn right and walk past skybus to the end of the arrivals sidewalk). They can pull over here from the outer traffic lane, but only for a moment (airport police will bother them if they stay more than for quick loading/unloading).
When I ordered Uklon from the airport, I did select an English driver just this once because I wanted a driver with a basic command of English who could communicate where to meet him exactly. He told me to meet him at the end of the sidewalk (after turning right when coming out of arrivals) as I described. He simply circled around the airport road until he saw me in this area, as he could not sit and wait for me there. I suspect this is the normal protocol for Uklon drivers picking up their passengers, but confirm with your driver to be sure.
-You can select and pay for a higher vehicle class; I have done this, but only gotten marginally better vehicles than the basic taxi. Not worth it in most situations.
-You can add to your quoted fare (in effect, creating your own Uber-type 'surge') if you want to. This would entice drivers to take your fare if it's a time of high demand. I've never needed to do this as a driver has always quickly accepted my ride request. Your quoted fare is set when you order the taxi (it's shown in the app and calculated based on distance and time) so there is no negotiating necessary with the taxi driver at any time. You are in essence getting the 'local' fare.
The bottom line is that Uklon is very economical (typically 45 UAH or around $2 for a ride anywhere in the Kyiv city centre; in Dnipro it is only around 35 UAH for a trip in the city-centre). I am glad I didn't use this on my first trip to Kyiv, though, as using this app made me lazy. I took cabs when I could have easily walked or taken transit because the cost was so low. On my first trip I walked everywhere and learned the Metro inside and out because I didn't know about Uklon. I'm glad to have had this experience and if I had known about Uklon from the beginning, I fear I may have missed out on seeing the city in this way.
Finally, if you go to a different Ukrainian city you can also use Uklon there but it's important to remember to change the city you're in in settings. It's not like Uber where it will change it automatically based on your GPS location. I arrived in Dnipro airport and got really frustrated that I couldn't order Uklon, since Dnipro airport was not showing up as a pick-up location no matter what I did! I realized later at my apartment that I needed to change the city in settings in order for locations in Dnipro to show up as potential pick-up and drop-off locations.
Uber is one of my 'essential' travel tools that I use all over the place, but for some reason there is still no Uber in Kyiv or anywhere in Ukraine for that matter. This is surprising to me, since Uber operates in a lot of other environments where they'd likely encounter corrupt officials (many mid-tier African and Asian cities even have it now!) and Uber operates in many cities throughout Poland and Russia which are not completely dissimilar environments.
Starting with my second trip to Ukraine, I wanted to make sure I had a reliable taxi app at my disposal because I had been in a precarious situation last time where I had to get a cab from the street quickly and had to pay a fairly hefty premium for my lack of Russian language skills. Beyond the cost savings and convenience advantages, I realized there is also some safety risk in getting into random cars in the street that purport to operate as taxis (not much in the way of official licensing or decals here). I downloaded Uklon because I'd heard from locals that they use it and like it, and it is also available in English. I realized there are many other taxi apps available in Ukraine also; I only have experience with Uklon.
If you have used Uber before, using Uklon will be fairly straightforward for you.
Some differences from Uber and some things you will want to note when using it:
-Uklon, unlike many other Ukrainian taxi apps, is available in English. The translations are pretty good for the most part, but not perfect. The biggest issues will arise in street names. Uklon won't necessarily used the same anglicized street names as Google Maps or Booking.com.
-When choosing the 'start' and 'finish' addresses of your trip, it may be easier to select 'choose on map' and place the location on a map rather than try to work out the anglicized street name. You can also save places you go to/from frequently as 'favourite addresses' to make selecting them more easy.
-Some pick-up locations can be confusing (e.g. 32B or 32/1). When you choose one of these addresses that doesn't go directly onto the street some drivers will find the right pick-up location and some won't. Unless you want to call your driver and are able to direct them in Russian, it's easiest just to choose the nearest normal street address to you as the pick-up location. If you live at a busy intersection, it may be easier to choose a location a few houses in to make it easier for them to find and stop at. You don't always have to input an address as the app is also loaded with some notable landmarks (e.g. you can select 'airport borispil').
-You pay the driver in cash, so unfortunately unlike Uber you will need to have Hrivnas on you. I have never had issues with any driver 'not having change' as is the case in my hometown sometimes and no driver has tried to rip me off by not giving me the right amount of change. When you pay at the end of your trip, your driver will not expect a tip (e.g. they will give you back exact change). I usually round it off to the nearest 10 and they appreciate it but do not expect it.
-You can select options above and beyond their most basic taxi. For example, you can select an 'english speaking driver' and your quoted fare will reflect about a 10% premium for this. I find that 'english speaking driver' really doesn't mean anything (I've never had one that is close to fluent, and it seems that any driver can self-select to be an 'english speaking driver' even if they speak 10-20 words). I wouldn't bother paying the extra for this.
-As soon as you submit your ride and a taxi accepts, you will be given the information such as ETA, car type and license plate number. In my experience, 90% of the time the driver will call you shortly after accepting the ride. This is not at all helpful since a) I can't communicate and b) It doesn't tell me anything beyond what the app already has (since it already says the ETA and the car model). Usually the driver will say some things in Russian and I will simply say 'English...taxi...okay' because there is no need for this call to be taking place. I simply go to my pickup point at the right time and 95% of the time everything goes smoothly. Maybe these calls are more for the driver to confirm it is a real human on the other end if they are going to use up gas driving out to some address.
-Unlike Uber, because everything is cash-based, there is no cancellation fee. If you change your mind or take another mode of transport because your driver is taking too long, you can cancel in the app or simply not show up for your ride. Nothing will happen except maybe the driver calling to yell at you in Russian. I don't think it impacts your ability to order another ride at any time. In my experience the driver taking too long to show up is not a problem; they typically arrive even before the stated ETA.
-You do need a Ukrainian phone number linked to your account before you can use the app (you get a confirmation code by text) and drivers will call this number if they need to communicate with you. This makes Uklon potentially unhelpful for you if you arrive at Boryspil airport but don't want to get a SIM card yet (they do sell them at the airport, however).
-If you order Uklon from Boryspil airport, there are three places the taxi could pick you up. 1 is for them to go in the short-term parking lot which is left when you come out of arrivals. They probably won't want to do this as they must pay to use it. 2 is for them to pick you up in the inner traffic lane in front of arrivals (where the 'authorized' airport taxis and Skybus wait). They probably can't do this because they are likely not from one of the airport authority's 'authorized' taxi company that can drive right up here. They will most likely pick you up at the end of the arrivals sidewalk (come out of the terminal, turn right and walk past skybus to the end of the arrivals sidewalk). They can pull over here from the outer traffic lane, but only for a moment (airport police will bother them if they stay more than for quick loading/unloading).
When I ordered Uklon from the airport, I did select an English driver just this once because I wanted a driver with a basic command of English who could communicate where to meet him exactly. He told me to meet him at the end of the sidewalk (after turning right when coming out of arrivals) as I described. He simply circled around the airport road until he saw me in this area, as he could not sit and wait for me there. I suspect this is the normal protocol for Uklon drivers picking up their passengers, but confirm with your driver to be sure.
-You can select and pay for a higher vehicle class; I have done this, but only gotten marginally better vehicles than the basic taxi. Not worth it in most situations.
-You can add to your quoted fare (in effect, creating your own Uber-type 'surge') if you want to. This would entice drivers to take your fare if it's a time of high demand. I've never needed to do this as a driver has always quickly accepted my ride request. Your quoted fare is set when you order the taxi (it's shown in the app and calculated based on distance and time) so there is no negotiating necessary with the taxi driver at any time. You are in essence getting the 'local' fare.
The bottom line is that Uklon is very economical (typically 45 UAH or around $2 for a ride anywhere in the Kyiv city centre; in Dnipro it is only around 35 UAH for a trip in the city-centre). I am glad I didn't use this on my first trip to Kyiv, though, as using this app made me lazy. I took cabs when I could have easily walked or taken transit because the cost was so low. On my first trip I walked everywhere and learned the Metro inside and out because I didn't know about Uklon. I'm glad to have had this experience and if I had known about Uklon from the beginning, I fear I may have missed out on seeing the city in this way.
Finally, if you go to a different Ukrainian city you can also use Uklon there but it's important to remember to change the city you're in in settings. It's not like Uber where it will change it automatically based on your GPS location. I arrived in Dnipro airport and got really frustrated that I couldn't order Uklon, since Dnipro airport was not showing up as a pick-up location no matter what I did! I realized later at my apartment that I needed to change the city in settings in order for locations in Dnipro to show up as potential pick-up and drop-off locations.