Better take 822s

HANOI: Indonesian karate team assistant coach Zulkarnaen Purba has learned to be selective when choosing a taxi in Hanoi as, like in Jakarta, many have dodgy meters.

Zulkarnaen said he was surprised to be billed more than 100,000 dong for a trip between the Gia Lam Gymnasium and the Union Trade Hotel, a 15 kilometers journey that normally cost 70,000 dong (US$4.50).

Indonesian Embassy communications head Raihan Khumaini said taxis with the first three digits of their plates reading 853 or 826 should be avoided. "You'd better take those with 822s," he said.