Taxi fares in Melbourne's north

A Melbourne taxi fare is a flag fall charged once, then either a rate per kilometre while the car is moving or a rate per minute while it is stopped or crawling in traffic, never both together. Which of the three tariffs applies, day, evening, or the Friday and Saturday night peak, depends on when the trip starts. The day rate is a flag fall of $5.40, $2.10 per kilometre or $0.70 per minute. Tolls, an airport pickup fee, a larger vehicle and any extras are added only when they actually apply, and each shows as its own line in the estimate.

It can be. The figure the fare calculator shows is an estimated fare, based on the distance and time of travel and including tolls and the airport fee where they apply. Traffic, route changes, waiting time and extras can change the final fare. If you want certainty, choose the fixed price on the Vehicle step of the booking and that is what you pay. For anything unusual, call (03) 9009 0051 or email 13taxinorthsuburban@gmail.com.

Yes. Book online, enter your flight number and choose the fixed price on the Vehicle step. That is the fare you pay, whatever the traffic does. If the trip changes, for example an extra stop or more passengers, we tell you the new price before we go ahead. As a guide, a regular taxi from Epping to the airport is usually $51 to $62 on the day rate, depending on the pickup address.

Yes, though it is a different rate rather than a set surcharge added on top. Evenings and overnight (5pm to 9am) charge a flag fall of $6.75, then $2.30 per kilometre or $0.80 per minute, and Friday and Saturday nights from 10pm to 4am, along with public holidays, charge $8.00, then $2.55 per kilometre or $0.85 per minute. The estimate you see before booking already uses the right rate for your pickup time.

Only where they apply. A toll is added when your route really uses a toll road, such as CityLink from the city, and many routes from the north and west carry none. The airport pickup fee of $5.26 only applies when you are collected from a terminal, so a drop off at the airport does not carry it while a pickup does. Both are already in the estimate you see.

Cash, credit card, Cabcharge or MPTP, paid to the driver in the car. There is nothing to pay when you book, no deposit and no account required. Corporate account customers are invoiced monthly instead.

For five or more passengers, usually yes. A maxi carries a surcharge over a regular taxi, but one maxi almost always costs less than two separate regular taxi fares for the same trip, and everyone arrives at the same time.