Short answers to the questions people ask most about taxis, Uber and Lyft in British Columbia. Fare rules and dates come from official pages checked in October 2026, and phone numbers come from our directory. We are an independent guide and do not dispatch cars.
How taxi fares and booking work in BC
Who sets taxi fares in BC?
The Passenger Transportation Board approves taxi rates. Operators may charge only approved rates, and a taxi may not raise its price because demand is high. Most fares come from a meter that adds a starting charge, a distance charge and a time charge, so a Friday night trip costs the same as a Tuesday morning one unless traffic slows the car down.
Are taxi rates the same across BC?
No. The Board keeps separate rate rules for eight areas: Metro Vancouver, the Capital Regional District, the Fraser Valley, Kelowna, Nanaimo, Penticton, Prince George and Port Alberni. A fare in Victoria or Nanaimo follows its own area rule, so a Metro Vancouver figure is a poor guide for an island trip.
How much is a taxi per kilometre in Metro Vancouver?
The Metro Vancouver common rate lists a $3.75 flag, $2.18 per kilometre and $38.93 per hour of waiting, all with GST. A 5 km trip with no delays therefore comes to about $14.65 before a tip. The Board reviews rates regularly, so ask the dispatcher if you need an exact figure for today.
Can I hail a taxi on the street?
A taxi can pick up a street hail when its licence includes that permission. Ride-hail cars, limousines and party buses cannot, and BC sets a $1,150 fine for a driver who does it. If someone offers you a curbside ride and is not driving a licensed taxi, decline and book through an app or phone line.
How do I book a taxi?
Phone the company or use its app if it has one. Examples from our directory: Vancouver Taxi 604-871-1111, Yellow Cab Vancouver 604-681-1111, Victoria Taxi 250-383-7111, Oceanside Taxi 250-954-8294 and Yellow Cab in Nanaimo 250-751-1111. The full list by town is in our taxi directory.
What should I tell the dispatcher?
Give the pickup address, a name and phone number, the destination and the number of passengers. Mention bags, a car seat or a wheelchair when they apply, because the company may need to send a different vehicle. For a hotel or apartment block, add the entrance you will be waiting at.
Is it worth booking a taxi in advance?
For an early flight, a ferry sailing or a busy night out, yes. Ask when you call whether the company takes advance bookings and how it confirms them. A last-minute call at closing time or in bad weather can mean a long wait, and an advance booking removes most of that risk.
Who do I contact about a problem with a taxi or driver?
Start with the company, which has the pickup record. For licensing and enforcement questions, the Commercial Passenger Vehicle Program Office takes calls at 604-527-2198 and email at [email protected]. Appeals of administrative penalties go to the Passenger Transportation Board.
Paying and tipping
Can I pay a taxi with a card?
Many companies in our directory state that they accept cards, including Vancouver Taxi, Yellow Cab Vancouver, Richmond Taxi, North Shore Taxi and BlueBird Cabs in Victoria. We could not find a BC rule that forces every driver to take a card, so confirm when you book and carry some cash as a backup. Our guide to card payments in Vancouver taxis goes into more detail.
Can a taxi charge extra for paying by card?
No. The Passenger Transportation Board has ruled that taxi and ride-hail licensees may not charge passengers more than their advertised rates to cover credit card fees. If you are asked for a card surcharge, you can report it to the Commercial Passenger Vehicle Program Office.
Do I have to tip a taxi driver?
No rule requires a tip, and the fare rules say nothing about one. Plenty of riders round the fare up or add a few dollars for help with bags or a long wait. Airport flat fares are set without gratuities, so any tip is your choice on top.
Can I pay for Uber with cash?
We could not confirm a cash option for Uber in BC. Open the payment menu in the app for your pickup city and see what is listed there. If a driver asks you for cash that the app does not offer, you can decline and report it. More on this is in our guide to Uber and taxi cash payments.
How do I tip an Uber driver?
Tipping is optional. After you rate the trip, the app offers a tip option, and Uber says you can still add one up to 30 days later through the app, riders.uber.com or the emailed receipt. A cash tip handed to the driver is also fine. If no tip option appears, your app may need an update or the driver may not accept in-app tips.
Does the Uber driver keep the whole tip?
According to Uber, the full tip goes to the driver and Uber takes no fee on it. Promotions cannot be used to pay a tip, but Uber Cash and gift cards can. On a split fare trip, only the person who requested the ride can set the tip.
Uber and Lyft in BC
When did Uber and Lyft start in Metro Vancouver?
The Passenger Transportation Board approved both companies for the Lower Mainland and Whistler on January 23, 2020, and rides began the next day, January 24. Lyft started with a small area covering central Vancouver, the airport and the PNE grounds, then widened its map over the following months.
Where can I use Uber in BC?
Uber has run in Greater Vancouver since January 2020, in Greater Victoria and Kelowna since June 2023, and announced in November 2024 that it would cover the whole province wherever drivers sign up. Availability depends on how many drivers are online in your area, so wait times outside the big cities can be longer.
Does Victoria have Uber?
Yes. Uber began in Victoria on June 6, 2023, and its service area runs from downtown Victoria to Langford and the Saanich Peninsula, including Victoria International Airport and the Swartz Bay ferry terminal. The Capital Region has its own ride-hail minimum fare, listed below.
Is there Uber in Nanaimo, Parksville or the Comox Valley?
Our directory lists Uber for the Oceanside area (Parksville, Qualicum Beach, Nanoose Bay) and for Courtenay and Comox, and Uride for Courtenay and Comox. All of them depend on local drivers being online, so open the app at your pickup spot before you plan around it. Taxi companies cover the same towns.
Can I use Uber or a taxi to reach Whistler?
The licence the Board approved in January 2020 covers the Lower Mainland and Whistler, so Uber can operate in that region. For local rides in the Sea to Sky corridor, our directory lists Whistler Taxi (604-932-3333) and Squamish Taxi (604-567-1111). Long trips from the city cost more, so ask for a quote when you book.
Is Lyft available on Vancouver Island?
We could not confirm Lyft service anywhere on Vancouver Island. Check the Lyft app at your pickup address, and keep a taxi number saved as a fallback.
What is the minimum fare for ride-hail in BC?
The Board sets a floor by region. Since August 18, 2026 the minimum is $4.43 in the Lower Mainland and Whistler, $6.03 in the Capital Region, $3.94 in the rest of Vancouver Island and $3.95 in the Okanagan, Kootenays and Cariboo. The minimum includes GST, and coupons cannot push a fare below it.
Why does the Uber price change?
Ride-hail companies use dynamic pricing: rates rise in busy periods and fall in quiet ones. You agree to an upfront or estimated fare before the car is on its way. The Board sets no cap on how high that fare can go, only a floor, so compare the price with a taxi estimate at rush hour or after an event.
Is Uber cheaper than a taxi?
Sometimes. A taxi fare follows a fixed meter rate, while an Uber fare moves with demand, so the gap changes by hour, route and weather. Enter your trip in our taxi fare estimator and check the Uber price in the app side by side before you choose.
What happens if I cancel an Uber?
A fee can apply, and the app shows it before you confirm the cancellation. Uber’s grace periods and amounts vary by ride type, so we do not quote a single number. Check the fee on the screen before you tap confirm.
Airports
Why is a taxi from the airport a flat fare but the trip back is not?
The flat zone fares in Rule 9 apply to passengers picked up at YVR. A trip to the airport is metered, so the total depends on the route and traffic. The Board defines YVR as the international, domestic and south terminals plus the Canada Line stations on Sea Island.
Where do taxis wait at Vancouver airport?
YVR runs taxi stands on International Arrivals Level 2 and Domestic Arrivals Level 2, and cars load in order of arrival. The airport says the posted rates carry no extra surcharges apart from tolls, a clean-up fee for soiling the vehicle and a charge for stops you request on the way.
How much is a taxi from YVR into the city?
Pickups at YVR use flat zone fares. Rule 9 of the Passenger Transportation Board lists $20 for Sea Island, $24 for South Vancouver and $42 for the Canada Place and downtown zone. The trip to the airport is metered rather than flat, and Yellow Cab Vancouver states about $38 from downtown hotels. See also our airport taxi page.
Can I stop on the way from YVR?
Yes, if you ask for the stop. Rule 9 adds $6 for a stop of ten minutes or less, plus $2 for each extra minute. When two groups share a car and go to different addresses in one zone, the zone fare applies until the first group gets out, and the meter then runs for the rest of the trip.
What does a taxi cost from the Canada Place cruise terminal?
During the cruise season, Rule 9 lists $16 from Canada Place to the downtown hotel area, including Pacific Central Station, and $42 from Canada Place to YVR on posted cruise ship days. Outside those zones and days, the meter applies. Confirm the zone with the driver before you set off.
Where do Uber and Lyft pick up at YVR?
YVR lists three ride app pickup areas: International Arrivals Level 2, Domestic Arrivals Level 2 and the South Terminal. Follow the Ride App signs inside the terminal. Uber and Lyft are the authorized providers there, and the airport suggests asking each company about its pre-booking policy.
How do I get a taxi at Victoria International Airport?
Yellow Cab of Victoria, 250-381-2222, serves the curb at arrivals, and you can pre-book any taxi that serves Greater Victoria. Pre-booked pickups wait in the Short Term Lot zone across from the arrivals exit doors. Uber has designated spots along the same Short Term Lot curb.
Is there a bus from Victoria airport to downtown?
Yes. BC Transit routes 70, 72, 87 and 88 serve the airport, with up to 28 departures a day to and from the McTavish Transit Exchange. The airport lists $6.00 for a trip from the airport to downtown Victoria. Large bags are hard to fit on the bus, so a taxi suits heavy luggage better.
Which taxis serve the Nanaimo and Comox airports?
In our directory, AC Taxi (250-753-1231) lists Nanaimo Airport and Comox Taxi (250-339-4444) lists Nanaimo Airport and the Comox Valley. Nanaimo Airporter (778-441-2133) covers both the Nanaimo and Comox airports with app booking. Call ahead for late arrivals.
Accessibility
Which Metro Vancouver companies list wheelchair-accessible taxis?
Our directory shows Vancouver Taxi, Yellow Cab Vancouver, MacLure’s Cabs, Black Top and Checker Cabs, Richmond Taxi, North Shore Taxi, Delta Surrey Greencab, Coquitlam Taxi and Bel-Air Taxi as stating wheelchair access. Availability changes by time of day, so say what you need when you book.
Which Vancouver Island companies list wheelchair access?
In our directory, Oceanside Taxi, Comox Taxi, AC Taxi, BlueBird Cabs and Yellow Cab of Victoria state wheelchair-accessible vehicles. That covers Parksville and Qualicum, the Comox Valley, Nanaimo and Greater Victoria. Call the company before the day of travel.
Do I need to book an accessible taxi ahead?
Yes, whenever you can. Victoria International Airport asks passengers who use power wheelchairs or mobility scooters to book accessible transportation at least one hour ahead. The same habit helps anywhere in BC.
Can Uber take a wheelchair user?
Uber’s wheelchair accessible option, WAV, runs only in a handful of pilot cities, and Vancouver is not on its published list. Riders with folding wheelchairs can use the standard ride types, and drivers are expected to help with walkers, canes and folding chairs. Check the app for a WAV option at your location.
Is there a taxi discount for people with disabilities?
In Metro Vancouver, TransLink sells TaxiSaver coupons to HandyCard members at half price. Eligibility rules and purchase limits are on TransLink’s accessibility pages, so read them before you apply. The program is for handyDART users and does not cover other riders.
BC Ferries and Vancouver Island trips
Can I take a taxi to a BC Ferries terminal?
Yes. Island companies in our directory list ferry terminals as part of their area, among them Uptown Taxi, Victoria Taxi and Westshore Taxi for Swartz Bay, and AC Taxi for the Nanaimo terminals. Uber also covers Swartz Bay. Our ferry terminal taxi page lists more.
Do foot passengers need a BC Ferries reservation?
No. BC Ferries lets you buy a foot passenger fare at the terminal without booking. Advance booking costs nothing extra and helps you secure the sailing you want, and it is highly recommended on routes where foot passenger space is fully reservable, such as Port Hardy to Prince Rupert.
How early should a foot passenger arrive?
BC Ferries advises arriving at least 30 minutes before sailing. If you hold a booking, kiosk check-in opens 60 to 30 minutes before departure for the next sailing. Allow for the taxi ride on top of that, because a late arrival can cost you the booking.
Can I change or cancel a foot passenger booking?
Changes are free up to two hours before departure. Cancellations are not refunded. If you miss a booked sailing, you can apply the fare to another sailing the same day on that route and direction, subject to space.
Can I bring a bicycle as a foot passenger?
Yes, and BC Ferries charges no fee for a bicycle. You check in with a ticket agent at the foot passenger entrance, board through the vehicle deck and walk the bike on and off. A kayak or canoe costs $2.
About this site
Do you dispatch taxis or sell rides?
No. This is an independent guide to taxis on Vancouver Island and in Metro Vancouver. We list companies, their phone numbers and what they state about cards, airports and accessibility, and the booking and the fare are always between you and the company.
How current are the phone numbers and rates?
Phone numbers and company details come from our directory, and companies change them without notice. Official rates and dates on this page were checked in October 2026. If a number does not connect, search the company’s own website before you rely on a listing.