In Kazakhstan, Local Taxi Driver Forces Indian Tourist To Pay Rs 5,000 For Rs 170 Ride

Kazakhstan’s vivid city life and rich archaeological history attract many Indian tourists every year. This country in Central Asia can be the perfect choice for people looking for a relatively cheap international gateway. Those with Indian passports can stay in Kazakhstan for up to two weeks without a visa.

Recently, an Indian travel vlogger visited Kazakhstan and shared her experience on social media with a “scam alert”. Komal Maheshwari claimed she had to pay over Rs 5,000 to reach her hotel from the airport. She posted two videos on Instagram. In the first clip, the woman revealed that she and her travel partner reached the Kazakhstan airport at midnight. With no local SIM, they had to book a cab. However, a local taxi driver offered a ride.

Komal discovered that there was already a passenger, whom the driver identified as his business partner and there was also a child lock in the backseat but she ignored it.

“If I were travelling solo, I would have booked a day flight and pre-booked my cab. I was not in the mindset that a scam could happen to me right away,” Komal wrote.

In the second video, Komal claimed that the taxi driver demanded 77,000 Tenge (approximately Rs 13,000) on reaching the destination. Initially, the driver told her the ride would cost only 1,000 Tenge (approximately Rs 170).

When they refused to pay, the driver allegedly got aggressive. Komal and her friend tried to negotiate but ended up paying 30,000 Tenge (nearly Rs 5,500) for the ride.

“I was aware of meter scams, but I never imagined it could escalate into something potentially dangerous. This experience was a wake-up call, and I’m sharing it because I want others to make wiser choices,” Komal said.

Both videos went viral. A user suggested that one should “arrange a local friend first before planning a trip” to a foreign country. Another viewer commented, “It can happen in every country… if they see a tourist who looks like ‘chicken’ and understands nothing, they can say any price.”