How do taxi meters work

While the taxi is traveling above the "crossover speed," the added cents is a mileage charge only. When the cab is below the "crossover speed," the added cents is a time charge only. The reason for the "crossover speed" calculation is to encourage drivers to pick up fares during high traffic periods and not quit driving taxis because of traffic jams. No, the meters are sealed and impossible to manipulate by the driver. Some private hire vehicles choose to have a meter fitted and use the same fares as hackney carriage vehicles.

Again, to avoid fare-based disputes, drivers not using taxi meters should inform passengers what the approximate cost of the journey will be before they set off. This not only helps with disputes, it ensures the passenger has enough money to pay for the journey to start with.

However, when booking an Uber ride via the app, users are given an estimate price for their journey on the screen. This price is based on the traffic and the hour at which the journey is attempted, meaning it is subject to change depending on the availability of drivers.

As a taxi company owner, you probably already know a lot of the information contained in this article. But do your drivers have the same knowledge of tariff rates? Running a taxi company is as much about minimising your risk as it is maximising the number of rides that you provide.

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Get a no-obligation taxi fleet insurance quote today. Taxi fares explained. The electronic meter was introduced in the s. Taximeters determine the distance travelled and the elapsed time of your taxi ride. The apparatus uses electric pulses to calculate the distance. Example: Our imaginary sensor sends a pulse to the taximeter for every centimeter travelled.

However, not every centimeter is added to the fare. Our hypothetical taximeter does not increase the fare until metres have been covered. In this example, you pay for every metres that you have driven in a taxi.

When calibrating the taximeter, the mechanic determines how many speed pulses the distance sensor delivers at a distance of one kilometer. This number is used by the device to carry out the rate calculations. As soon as the driver starts his meter, it records the time at which it was activated. Once the driver stops the meter, the computer calculates the time in between.

The taximeter uses this metric, together with the total amount of speed pulses sent, to calculate the final fare. The taximeter is mandatory for drivers who operate on the taxi-hailing market. Drivers that do pre-booked rides for which no price agreement has been made in advance need a meter as well. For example, a driver can only use his or her taxi for carrying out subsidised taxi transport. If a driver is active on the hailing market i.