4.1 Flag-Down Fares and Metered Distance/Time Charges

The Building Blocks of a Metered Taxi Fare

Every metered Singapore taxi fare is built from the same core ingredients: a flag-down fare, a distance and time charge, and, where applicable, a waiting-time charge. This section covers those three building blocks in detail. Later sections in this chapter add the remaining layers - time-of-day and location surcharges (Section 4.2), booking fees and upfront flat fares for app bookings (Section 4.3), and payment methods and receipts (Section 4.4) - so that by the end of the chapter you can calculate a complete real-world fare from start to finish.

What Is the Flag-Down Fare?

The flag-down fare is the fixed amount that starts running the moment a taxi is hired, whether by street hail, from a taxi stand, or through a booking. According to LTA's published fare information, the flag-down fare for standard taxis ranges from $4.40 to $5.20, and for premium vehicles ranges from $5.00 to $5.50. The range exists because different LTA-licensed taxi operators set their own flag-down fare within LTA's published bands, so the exact starting figure a passenger sees depends on which operator's taxi they are riding in.

Importantly, the flag-down fare is not simply an extra fee bolted onto the trip - it covers the first kilometre of the journey. Distance-based charges only begin to accumulate once the taxi has travelled past that first kilometre. A TDVL holder who understands this can explain to a passenger why a very short trip (under 1km) may cost close to the flag-down fare alone, while a longer trip adds distance charges on top.

Distance and Time-Based Charges

Once a trip passes the 1km mark, the meter begins adding a distance/time charge for every fixed increment of distance travelled - and, if the taxi is stationary or held up, an equivalent charge for every fixed increment of time. LTA's published rates use a two-tier distance structure:

• From the 1km mark to the 10km mark, standard taxis charge 26 cents for every 400 metres travelled.
• Beyond the 10km mark, the increment shortens: standard taxis charge 26 cents for every 350 metres travelled. The shorter increment means the per-metre cost of distance rises slightly for the portion of a trip beyond 10km.
• Waiting time for standard taxis costs 26 cents for every 45 seconds, applied when the taxi is stopped or held up (for example, in traffic or while waiting for the passenger) rather than actively covering distance.

Premium vehicles use the same two-tier distance structure and the same 45-second waiting increment, but at a higher rate of 37 to 38 cents for each 400m/350m distance increment or 45-second waiting increment.

Rate Reference Table

Worked Example 1: Calculating a Base Metered Fare

A standard taxi trip covers 5km in total, with 90 seconds of waiting time, and no surcharges apply. Using a flag-down fare of $4.40:

This $7.52 is the fare before any peak-period, late-night, or location surcharge is applied - those are covered next, in Section 4.2.

Why This Matters for the TDVL Test and for Passengers

TDVL scenario questions often describe a trip distance and ask for the correct fare, or describe a fare charged and ask whether it matches what the meter should show. Being able to break a fare into its flag-down, distance, and waiting-time components - rather than guessing - is the fastest way to check whether a charge is correct. It is also the professional foundation for handling fare disputes, which are covered in Section 4.5: a driver who can explain each component of the fare, in order, resolves far more disputes calmly than one who cannot.