A guide to Taxis in Sydney. You can take a taxi from designated taxi ranks, book taxis, and hail them from the kerb. Taxi operators are numerous and all use there own colors and livery. A feature common to all is the roof-mounted taxi light.
Taxi Fares in Sydney
In the case of catching a taxing from the rank or hailing from the kerb, fares are regulated by the government with set rates for flagfall, waiting time, distance rates, and peak time charge.
Here are the maximum amounts that rank and hail taxi companies can charge when travelling in an urban area. Note, if you are traveling outside of the taxis designated area then you may be charged more than the regulated fare, in such cases the fare is negotiated and agreed in advance. Also, a maxi-taxi can charge 150% of the standard rate when carrying 5 or more passengers.
- Hire charge: $3.60
- Peak time hire charge: $2.50 ( in addition to the hire charge, 10pm – 6am on Friday’s, Saturday’s, and evening prior to Public Holidays),
- Distance rate: $2.19 per kilometre
- Night distance rate: $2.63 per kilometre (trips between 10pm – 6am)
- Waiting time: $56.68 per hour (94.4c per minute) while vehicle speed is less than 26 km/h
- Cleaning fee: if you dirty the taxi, you may be charged up to $120
In the case of booking a taxi, either online or via phone booking, fares at the discretion of the service provider. You should get a quote for your journey in advance and most companies utilise APPs to provide fare estimates for bookings.
Major Taxi Companies in Sydney