We have released our draft report on maximum fares for rank and hail taxi fares from 1 July 2025
Passengers catching a taxi at a rank or hailing one from the street do not have the opportunity to shop around for providers and services. For this reason, the Government sets the maximum fare components that taxis can charge when obtained at a rank or by hailing. IPART has been asked to review and make recommendations on maximum rank and hail taxi fares to apply from 1 July 2025. Transport for NSW will consider IPART’s recommendations when setting fares through a fare order.
Our draft recommended fares address demand and supply issues
We want to recommend fares that allow passengers to get rank and hail taxi services in a timely fashion at an appropriate price, so we analysed supply of and demand for taxi services to determine whether they’re in balance at current fare levels. We found that demand and supply generally match, except in three situations:
- Wheelchair accessible services
- Services for people travelling short distances
- Services for passengers leaving Sydney Airport
Our draft recommended fares address these issues by increasing the fixed component of urban taxi fares (the ‘flag fall’) and reducing the distance rate. We are also endorsing the NSW Government new wheelchair accessible taxi lift fee of $25 (and increased night and public holiday rates) to improve the incentives to provide accessible services to passengers that need them.
We are proposing a trial for a fixed fare from Sydney Airport
The Minister for Transport also asked us to investigate pricing for fares from Sydney Airport. We are recommending a 12 month trial of a fixed fare of $55 for standard taxis and $75 for maxi taxis for trips originating at Sydney Airport to any destination within the CBD (defined as the 2000 postcode). The fixed fares are inclusive of tolls, levies, and charges, except the credit card surcharge. The fixed fares aim at improving clarity for passengers leaving the Airport, to minimise the risk of overcharges.