Clear Sydney taxi fare guide based on official NSW government transport information, covering rank & hail fares, booked fares, airport rules, TTSS, levy, tolls and pre-paid fare notes.
Starting urban rank & hail fare for Sydney metropolitan area and other listed urban areas.
First 12 km in urban day trips, then lower rate after 12 km. Night rates are higher.
Applied while vehicle speed is less than 26 km/h during an urban rank & hail trip.
Passenger levy may be passed on, tolls can be added, and card surcharge rules may apply.
These are the regulated maximum urban fares for rank & hail taxi trips in Sydney. Drivers and service providers can charge less, but they cannot exceed the regulated maximum.
| Fare component | Amount | When it applies | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hire charge | $5.00 | Start of urban rank & hail trip | Base charge for Sydney urban area |
| Peak time hire charge | $2.56 | 10pm–6am on Fridays, Saturdays and the night before public holidays | Added on top of hire charge |
| Distance rate | $2.52/km | First 12 km of standard urban trip | Day / non-night urban rate |
| Distance after 12 km | $2.29/km | After first 12 km | Urban day trip |
| Night distance rate | $3.00/km | First 12 km between 10pm–6am | Night urban rate |
| Night distance after 12 km | $2.73/km | After first 12 km between 10pm–6am | Night urban rate |
| Waiting time | $65.52/hr | When vehicle travels under 26 km/h | 109.2c per minute |
| Cleaning fee | Up to $120 | If taxi is soiled by passenger | Maximum charge |
| Passenger Service Levy | $1.32 | If service provider passes on levy | $1.20 levy + GST |
Simple visual breakdown of how an estimated urban rank & hail taxi fare is built.
The fare begins with the base hire charge when the trip starts.
Per kilometre amount is added during the trip. Night trips use higher distance rates.
When the taxi slows below the trigger speed, waiting time can be added.
Tolls, levy, approved surcharge or cleaning fee may be added where applicable.
This is one of the most important distinctions for Sydney taxi pages.
For booked taxi, hire car and similar booking services in NSW, fares are not government regulated. Providers can set their own pricing and may use discounts, peak pricing or fixed fares.
A temporary Passenger Service Levy applies to point-to-point transport trips in NSW. If the provider passes it on, the passenger sees the levy plus GST added to the fare.
Passenger Service Levy: $1.20
If passed to passenger with GST: $1.32
TTSS customers remain under regulated fare rules for booked trips, and a fare calculation device must be used for all TTSS journeys.
For non-booked taxi trips from anywhere in the Sydney Airport Precinct directly to the Sydney CBD fixed fare zone, the official fixed fare trial applies.
$60 Applies to a taxi other than a maxi-cab for eligible non-booked trips from Sydney Airport Precinct direct to the Sydney CBD fixed fare zone.
$80 Applies where there are 5 or more passengers, or the maxi-cab is requested by the hirer at Sydney Airport taxi ranks, other than for wheelchair-accessible service carriage.
When the taxi uses a toll road, toll charges may be added to the fare.
If your taxi ride travels on a toll road, the toll charges are added to your fare.
If you travel on the Sydney Harbour Bridge or Sydney Harbour Tunnel, you should only be charged the toll during your trip, not for the driver’s return journey.
Useful extra rules to show on a Sydney rates page.
When hiring a maxi taxi at a rank or hailing it from the street with five or more passengers, the fare may be up to 150% of the regular taxi fare.
If passengers agree to share a taxi with a stranger, each passenger pays 75% of the maximum fare to their own destination.
TTSS and pre-paid taxi rules should be shown separately because users often confuse them with standard booked fares.
Useful customer-facing notes for the pre-paid section.
If you pay the estimated fare by Cabcharge, credit card or EFTPOS, a maximum 5% surcharge applies.
If the final fare amount is lower than what you pre-paid, you can only be refunded for the remaining fare deposit. No portion of the surcharge amount can be refunded.
Short FAQ block for SEO + UX.
These Sydney taxi fare details are based on official Transport for NSW pages.
