How much is an Uber from Downtown Vancouver to Joyce-Collingwood Station? About $23 at normal demand, with a likely range of $20 to $27. The distance is 10 km and the drive takes about 20 minutes.
Building the number
This is an estimate from average rideshare rates and not Uber’s own price. The rate card has a $2.50 base fare, $1.15 per km, $0.35 per minute and a $2 booking fee. Ten km adds $11.50 and 20 minutes adds $7. That makes $21 before the booking fee, and $23 after it.
The real upfront price appears in the Uber app once you enter both addresses. Our figure is a way to judge whether that price looks normal.
One thing the formula leaves out is the time you spend waiting. If the driver arrives and you are not ready, the wait is not part of our $23, and it can push the trip above the number you saw first.
What busy hours do to it
A busy period raises the estimate to about $27. A very busy one brings about $34, and peak demand brings $44. The same ride can therefore cost nearly twice as much when many riders are booking together.
Bigger vehicles follow the same pattern. Comfort is about $28, XL (up to 6 seats) is about $32 and Premier is about $49.
If several of you are travelling, price XL before anything else. At about $32 for up to 6 seats it costs only $4 more than Comfort, so split four ways it comes to $8 each. Premier makes sense mainly when you want the higher class of car and are happy to pay for it.
Taxi meter
Whalley Taxi and Royal City Taxi publish a tariff of $3.75 to start and $2.18 per km. Ten km on the meter works out near $26, before any minutes spent standing still or add-on charges. You can phone Vancouver Taxi on 604-871-1111 or Yellow Cab Vancouver on 604-681-1111 for a booking. The taxi figure sits about $3 above the standard rideshare estimate, which is a small gap for a ride of this length, so the better choice often depends on which one is available sooner.
Before you get in the car
Stations have more than one side, so give the driver the exact address and check the pickup spot in the app before you confirm. If you have a train or bus to catch, allow extra time, as a car requested at a busy moment can take longer to find you. Luggage is worth mentioning when you book, and anyone who needs a wheelchair accessible vehicle should arrange it by phone ahead of the trip.