Avoiding Pettah bus stand tuktuk scams and touts
7 Answers from travellers
This is a huge scam zone. The touts outside wear fake lanyards and tell you the government buses are broken down to herd you into their expensive private vans or tuktuks. Do not make eye contact. Walk directly into the Bastian Mawatha or Central Bus Stand and only ask a driver physically sitting inside a parked bus.
If you need a tuktuk away from Pettah, order a PickMe. Do not negotiate with the guys parked there.
Or take an Uber straight to Makumbura Multimodal Center to catch luxury buses safely.
Yell NO very loudly if they touch your bags. The police are nearby and the touts will scatter.
Take the train instead if you can! Fort Station is much less chaotic than Pettah.
Scam Watch: colombo
Driver claims the meter is broken and quotes an inflated flat rate. Common on arrival at airport or railway stations when tourists are tired and disoriented.
Drivers wearing official-looking uniforms claim to be "government-approved" and charge 3-5x normal rates. They may have fake badges or ID cards.
Women with babies approach asking you to buy milk powder at a nearby shop (not cash). The shop is run by accomplices and charges 5-10x normal price.
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