A Metro Vancouver cab charges a flag fare when the trip starts, then adds a distance rate and a waiting time rate on the meter. Under the Passenger Transportation Board’s common rate, effective January 1, 2025, the flag is $3.75 and the distance rate is $0.10 per 45.95 metres, which works out to about $2.18 per kilometre. Both figures include 5% GST.
What goes into a cab fare
The meter combines three things. The flag is the starting charge. The distance rate adds to the fare as the car moves. The wait time rate adds to the fare when the car is stopped or crawling, which is why heavy traffic raises the bill. The wait time rate in Metro Vancouver is $0.10 per 9.25 seconds, or about $38.93 per hour, including GST.
These rates apply to licensed taxis with the designated authorizations in Metro Vancouver. Outside that area, rates are set locally, so a taxi in another BC city can use a different tariff. Ask the company or check its published rates before a longer trip.
Other charges to expect
- Stops en route: a stop of 10 minutes or less is $6.00, and each extra minute after 10 is $2.00.
- Airport pickups: trips that start at Vancouver International Airport carry a $4.00 per ride premium location charge on top of the fare.
- Flat fares: from YVR, flat fares to Richmond and Vancouver destinations range from $20.00 to $47.00 depending on the zone. From the Canada Place cruise terminal on cruise ship days, flat fares are $16.00 to downtown hotels and $42.00 to YVR.
A credit card surcharge is not allowed. The Passenger Transportation Board prohibits taxi and ride hail licensees in BC from charging passengers extra for paying by credit card.
How a taxi meter works
The meter starts with the flag as soon as the trip begins. It then tracks distance travelled and time spent waiting, and it updates the total as the car moves. The driver should start the meter at pickup and you can watch the amount climb on the display.
Distance and time
On a free flowing road the distance rate drives most of the total. In stop and go traffic, the wait time rate becomes a bigger share, so the same trip at 5 pm can cost more than at mid morning.
What changes the price of a cab ride
Distance and duration are the main drivers. A longer trip costs more, a detour adds to the total, and extra stops add the stop charge described above. A less congested route can keep the bill down.
Before you ride
Time of day does not change the metered rate in the common rate schedule, but traffic does, because it affects waiting time. For a rough number ahead of time, try the taxi fare estimator, or read how Vancouver taxis work for local details. If a company offers a fixed price for a trip, ask what it includes before you agree.
Rates change when the regulator updates them, so confirm the current tariff with the company if the date on the schedule is old.