Fixed price versus taximeter
A Dutch metered taxi charges a starting fare plus an amount per kilometre and per minute, within legal maximum tariffs. It is a fair system for the driver, because it pays for time as well as distance. For the passenger, it means the final amount only becomes clear at the end of the ride.
A fixed price flips that around: the amount is agreed before departure, and the risk of traffic or a diversion moves to us.
How a meter is built up
- A starting fare charged as soon as the ride begins.
- A rate per kilometre driven.
- A rate per minute, which keeps running when the car is stationary.
- Maximum tariffs set by law; operators may charge less.
- The total is only known when the ride ends.
What makes a metered ride unpredictable
- Congestion, roadworks and diversions add minutes and kilometres.
- Rush hour on the same route can cost noticeably more than at midnight.
- An unfamiliar route makes it hard to judge whether the total is reasonable.
- Waiting at a pick-up counts as time on the meter.
What a fixed price changes
With a price agreed in advance, you decide before you travel whether the amount is acceptable, and traffic becomes our problem rather than yours. The driver knows what the ride pays and does not gain from a longer route.
It also makes budgeting and expense claims straightforward: one amount, one invoice, no meter reading to explain to your finance department.
Which suits which journey
| Journey | Usually better |
|---|---|
| Short spontaneous city hop | Metered taxi at a rank |
| Airport transfer | Fixed price |
| Long-distance journey between cities | Fixed price |
| Travel during rush hour | Fixed price |
| Group with luggage | Fixed price |
| Business trip that must be invoiced | Fixed price |