How to Deal with Tuk-tuk Drivers in Sri Lanka – For Safe and Hassle-Free Travel

The beautiful island nation of Sri Lanka will be a captivating country to visit, offering lovely beaches, sightseeing attractions, cultural highlights, wildlife and much more. In Sri Lanka, both foreigners and locals often use tuk-tuks (three-wheelers) to get about. Although most tuk-tuk drivers will be fairly honest inoffensive individuals, there could be a few who are unprofessional. Provided below are some useful suggestions for dealing with them. 

Dutch Lanka Tours, Tuk Tuk Sri Lanka, CC BY-SA 4.0 

Assess the appearance of the driver and avoid unnecessary conversations

Before boarding a tuk-tuk, you should always assess the driver’s appearance and behaviour, particularly when you happen to be travelling on your own. If a driver appears unsavoury, throws unpleasant looks or addresses you in an inappropriate manner you should not board the tuk-tuk. This would be an important measure for your safety.You will also find that certain tuk-tuk drivers happen to be rather chatty. Of course, they may just be friendly and have no ulterior motives. On the other hand, there could be a minority of drivers who desire to strike up a conversation to elicit sensitive personal information. Therefore, you should never divulge such important information to a tuk-tuk driver. 

Be mindful and avoid drunken drivers

While travelling in tuk-tuks, one may converse or engage in telephone conversations; however, when doing so you should always speak softly and avoid divulging sensitive information such as PIN numbers, account numbers, telephone numbers, addresses and so on. It could remotely be possible that a tuk-tuk driver could take advantage of this kind of information.Particularly during celebrations and festive periods, you should be mindful of drunken tuk-tuk drivers. As you might expect, drunkenness could cause a driver to be unable to steer properly, commence unwanted conversations or even harass you. If you notice this kind of condition even after boarding a tuk-tuk, you should command the driver to stop and let you get off. 

Safeguard your valuables and check the meter

If you happen to be carrying valuables, you should always take care to keep them close. If possible, you should also not let the driver know that you are carrying valuable items. Naturally, you should try to avoid carrying sizable amounts of cash or other valuables when travelling on your own. You should additionally be mindful that the driver is following the correct route; it may remotely be possible that he would be taking you to an isolated locality with nefarious motives.You should always attempt to travel on a tuk-tuk that has a functional meter, to avoid being overcharged. In this regard, you should inquire whether the meter is working before boarding the tuk-tuk. In the case of a tuk-tuk without a working meter, you should always take care to arrive at a price before commencing the journey. Of course, it always helps to find centrally located accommodation which gives you the chance to easily travel to attractions by tuk-tuk. For example, when it comes to resorts in Kalutara, ‘Safe and Secure’ certified properties like Avani Kalutara Resort make an ideal base from which to head off on tuk-tuk adventures to well-known landmarks. 

Dress conservatively and be vigilant at night

Naturally, ladies should be careful when travelling by tuk-tuk if they happen to be wearing revealing clothing. There would be no need to invite unnecessary attention when attired in this way. Ladies should also generally refrain from being over-friendly with drivers.Obviously, ladies should be extra vigilant when travelling in a tuk-tuk alone at night. Solo night-time travel would not be very prudent in any case, but you should take extra care in a tuk-tuk. Ladies could also conduct a phone conversation with a friend or provide hints that suggest a husband, boyfriend or brother is waiting for them which will discourage any unwanted attention from the driver.