Sydney Airport to CBD $60 Flat Rate Taxi Fares

[AshM]

This happened to me tonight. Was on the last flight out of MEL so little traffic on secondary roads and the driver avoided tolls, adding probably 5-6 mins to my journey. Not enough to make a fuss about but a definite annoying unintended consequence of the fixed fare.

Annnnd… on arrival, he said it was $75.20. I expressed surprise and said I thought it was a fixed $60 fare. He mumbled something about it being in a different segment of the map. I said Hunter St couldn’t be more squarely in the middle of the CBD. He offered to make it $60 + $10. I said I didn’t understand what the $10 was for. And, while I was at it, I was surprised he hadn’t taken the toll road. He relented and agreed on $60.

My experience has been that random cabs from the airport are more crooked in Sydney than any city I’ve ever been to - and I’ve been to some dodgy places. You need a guy. If you don’t have a guy, there’s a >50% chance the driver will try to screw you.

I had a really good cab driver in Sydney last month who bemoaned the many dodgy ones. Urged me to report them. Said they brought the whole industry into disrepute. I said it wasn’t worth my time but that I appreciated the good ones all the more.

 

[kpc]

Annnnd… on arrival, he said it was $75.20. I expressed surprise and said I thought it was a fixed $60 fare. He mumbled something about it being in a different segment of the map. I said Hunter St couldn’t be more squarely in the middle of the CBD. He offered to make it $60 + $10. I said I didn’t understand what the $10 was for. And, while I was at it, I was surprised he hadn’t taken the toll road. He relented and agreed on $60.

My experience has been that random cabs from the airport are more crooked in Sydney than any city I’ve ever been to - and I’ve been to some dodgy places. You need a guy. If you don’t have a guy, there’s a >50% chance the driver will try to screw you.

I had a really good cab driver in Sydney last month who bemoaned the many dodgy ones. Urged me to report them. Said they brought the whole industry into disrepute. I said it wasn’t worth my time but that I appreciated the good ones all the more.

A Didi / uber / train solves the problem. As a Sydneysider, I have not caught a taxi in Sydney since 2017 becsuse of this behaviour!

 

[elanshin]

The problem seems to be that over the years more of the honest ones move out of the industry (get better jobs or just moved over to uber/didi) and the ones replacing them have little integrity.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Annnnd… on arrival, he said it was $75.20. I expressed surprise and said I thought it was a fixed $60 fare. He mumbled something about it being in a different segment of the map. I said Hunter St couldn’t be more squarely in the middle of the CBD. He offered to make it $60 + $10. I said I didn’t understand what the $10 was for. And, while I was at it, I was surprised he hadn’t taken the toll road. He relented and agreed on $60.

My experience has been that random cabs from the airport are more crooked in Sydney than any city I’ve ever been to - and I’ve been to some dodgy places. You need a guy. If you don’t have a guy, there’s a >50% chance the driver will try to screw you.

I had a really good cab driver in Sydney last month who bemoaned the many dodgy ones. Urged me to report them. Said they brought the whole industry into disrepute. I said it wasn’t worth my time but that I appreciated the good ones all the more.

My lists of ‘excuses’ in post 11 isnt looking so silly

‘Area not within the CBD’ was one of the potential excuses I listed, and it’s been invoked, it seems, even for places clearly inside the zone. Pity the poor tourist.

 

[Rich]

A Didi / uber / train solves rhe problem. As a Sydneysider, I have not caught a taxi in Sydney since 2017 becsuse of this behaviour!

On the subject of Ubers and Didis, Uber allowing drivers to request more money in the app has been a pain. Most seem to do this and generally I am finding Uber and Didi are getting worse.
I recently need to travel to MEL airport from home at 4:30 am a week or so before Christmas. Never a good time I admit but usually fares are around $45 long distance Didi or $65 Uber. Uber was showing upwards of $200. I accepted an inflated Didi fare but then the driver wasn't moving towards me. Without asking he sends a message "if it looks like I am not moving it is network issues". Why do Didi drivers have so many network issues in areas that I never do? Then he demand $120 cash otherwise it is "not worthwhile".

I said it wasn’t worth my time

So from the lounge I reported the Didi driver on the app. (I agree for a taxi it is not worth your time and by all accounts doesn't change anything.) Took less than a minute and they sent me a $10 voucher which I wasn't expecting. That was worth my time. The Didi I did take was no hassle and no attempted extortion.

 

[Flyerwin]

I've been using Uber with no issues for many years, and avoid taxis for all the reasons already shared. If an Uber driver is dodgy, give them a bad rating and report them to Uber.

 

[AshM]

A Didi / uber / train solves rhe problem. As a Sydneysider, I have not caught a taxi in Sydney since 2017 becsuse of this behaviour!

Unfortunately my current employer mandates taxis and forbids Uber, etc. As if taxis are somehow more transparent and honest. In contrast, my previous employer required us to use Uber for Business (and taxis only by exception).

Historically I used a guy in Sydney but broke the habit over covid and haven’t travelled as much since.

Have used the same taxi driver in Melbourne for probably 15+ years. He’s absolutely first rate.

 

[Quickstatus]

Have used the same taxi driver in Melbourne for probably 15+ years. He’s absolutely first rate.

Maybe he is related to Jimmy

 

[flyingfan]

Annnnd… on arrival, he said it was $75.20. I expressed surprise and said I thought it was a fixed $60 fare. He mumbled something about it being in a different segment of the map. I said Hunter St couldn’t be more squarely in the middle of the CBD. He offered to make it $60 + $10. I said I didn’t understand what the $10 was for. And, while I was at it, I was surprised he hadn’t taken the toll road. He relented and agreed on $60.

Good on you for standing your ground and fighting. I didn't before and shudder to think about how many times I've been ripped off - IME Sydney has been the worst with taxis anywhere.

 

[Scarlett]

My response, in a situation like @AshM had, is: “you seem to have pronounced ‘sixty’ incorrectly”.
It shuts down any attempts at bargaining whilst letting them know that you know what the correct fare is.

 

[jakeseven7]

Maybe he is related to Jimmy

Agree, Abishek “Jimmy” is amazing.

Anyone have a Sydney equivalent? Sydney cabs I’ve encountered are just foul and also hate using Uber - would love a recommendation for a Sydney “Jimmy”!

 

[Daver6]

Annnnd… on arrival, he said it was $75.20. I expressed surprise and said I thought it was a fixed $60 fare. He mumbled something about it being in a different segment of the map. I said Hunter St couldn’t be more squarely in the middle of the CBD. He offered to make it $60 + $10. I said I didn’t understand what the $10 was for. And, while I was at it, I was surprised he hadn’t taken the toll road. He relented and agreed on $60.

My experience has been that random cabs from the airport are more crooked in Sydney than any city I’ve ever been to - and I’ve been to some dodgy places. You need a guy. If you don’t have a guy, there’s a >50% chance the driver will try to screw you.

I had a really good cab driver in Sydney last month who bemoaned the many dodgy ones. Urged me to report them. Said they brought the whole industry into disrepute. I said it wasn’t worth my time but that I appreciated the good ones all the more.

I truly wouldn't have the patience for such cough from a driver. I'd simply say you can charge me $60 or I can get out and not pay anything. Feel free to call the police if you feel this is problematic.

 

[AshM]

So from the lounge I reported the Didi driver on the app. (I agree for a taxi it is not worth your time and by all accounts doesn't change anything.)

So I ended up calling the NSW Govt’s taxi complaint line just to see what would happen.

They were pretty inefficient - it took about four calls for them to take the complaint - but we got there in the end. Unfortunately they also seem pretty toothless. They simply referred the matter to the taxi company.

The taxi company then emailed to say:

“Please be assured that we take such matters very seriously. Your report has prompted an internal review, and we have addressed the issue directly with the driver involved. Appropriate disciplinary action has been taken, and sanctions have been applied in accordance with our policies.“

I wrote back asking what the “appropriate disciplinary action” and “sanctions” were.

They responded that “the driver has been spoken to” and received “counselling and a reminder of their obligations under the relevant regulations”.

Seriously.

 

[kamchatsky]

So I ended up calling the NSW Govt’s taxi complaint line just to see what would happen.

They were pretty inefficient - it took about four calls for them to take the complaint - but we got there in the end. Unfortunately they also seem pretty toothless. They simply referred the matter to the taxi company.

The taxi company then emailed to say:

“Please be assured that we take such matters very seriously. Your report has prompted an internal review, and we have addressed the issue directly with the driver involved. Appropriate disciplinary action has been taken, and sanctions have been applied in accordance with our policies.“

I wrote back asking what the “appropriate disciplinary action” and “sanctions” were.

They responded that “the driver has been spoken to” and received “counselling and a reminder of their obligations under the relevant regulations”.

Seriously.

I used the following link to report the taxi by filling up a form online, rather than call up:

Report a taxi

You can report a taxi fare related issue to the Point to Point Transport Commissioner.

www.service.nsw.gov.au

I did it 3 years ago and GM CABS ended up suspending the taxi driver from their network.

 

[AshM]

I used the following link to report the taxi by filling up a form online, rather than call up:

Report a taxi

You can report a taxi fare related issue to the Point to Point Transport Commissioner.

www.service.nsw.gov.au

I did it 3 years ago and GM CABS ended up suspending the taxi driver from their network.

It apparently ends up at the same place. They said I could fill in the form or they could just run through it with me over the phone.

I wasn't hoping for a lengthy suspension - but I figured it probably warranted something a little more concrete than an informal chat.