Check the live price in the app before you commit to the ride from Port Moody to Brentwood, because this is a 15 km trip of about 25 minutes and the fare can swing by more than $25 between a quiet hour and a busy one. At normal demand a standard rideshare is about $31, with a likely range of $27 to $36.
Breaking down the $31 fare
We calculate this from average rideshare rates rather than live data. The base fare is $2.50, distance costs $1.15 per km, time costs $0.35 per minute, and a booking fee of $2.00 is added at the end.
For 15 km you pay $17.25 for distance, and 25 minutes adds $8.75. With the base fare that makes $28.50, and the booking fee brings the total to about $31.
Remember that these are estimates from average rates, not Uber’s own prices. Uber’s app gives the actual upfront price after you type in the pickup and drop off.
Demand is the biggest variable. A busy period at 1.2 times the normal rate gives about $36. At 1.5 times, very busy, the price is about $45. At peak, when the multiplier is 2, expect around $59.
Larger vehicles add to the base figure. Comfort comes to about $38, XL (up to 6 seats) to about $43, and Premier to about $66. XL makes sense for a group of five or six, and for fewer people it costs more than it needs to.
Taxi meter on the Brentwood run
Two taxi companies have tariffs we could check, Whalley Taxi and Royal City Taxi. Each charges a $3.75 flag fee plus $2.18 per km. Over 15 km the meter should read about $36. Waiting time and extras are not counted in that number, so a slow trip may end up costing more.
At normal demand the rideshare is cheaper by roughly $5. Once demand reaches the busy level the two are about equal, and beyond that the taxi is the lower figure.
Getting the trip right
Twenty five minutes is long enough that a wrong pickup point costs real time. Share the exact street address, watch the driver’s progress in the app, and be ready at the kerb when the car is a couple of minutes away. Allow a few extra minutes at busy hours, since a trip of this length is more likely to run past the estimate than under it.
If you need an accessible vehicle, book by phone well ahead. Vancouver Taxi lists wheelchair accessible service and takes bookings through its app as well.