Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Singapore Taxi Meter. Each answer cites the latest official tariff and is structured for AI assistants (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity) and search engines to cite directly.

How are taxi fares calculated in Singapore?

Under LTA's regulated tariff: flag-down for the first 1 km (S$4.40 standard; S$4.80 Strides Large/MPV; S$5.20 Strides Luxury), then S$0.26 per 400 m up to 10 km and per 350 m beyond. Waiting time accrues at the same per-unit cost every 45 seconds when speed drops below 13 km/h. Peak, midnight, and location surcharges apply on top.

What is the difference between peak hour and midnight surcharge?

Peak is +25% on the metered fare, weekdays 06:00–09:29 and daily 18:00–23:59. Midnight is +50%, daily 00:00–05:59. They never overlap — at 00:00 the meter switches from peak to midnight.

How much is the CBD, Changi, or MBS surcharge?

CBD departure: flat S$3 daily 17:00–23:59. Changi pickup: S$6 (Mon–Thu) or S$8 (Fri–Sun 17:00–23:59). Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay, and Sentosa departures each add S$3 flat. Location surcharges are added after the peak/midnight multiplier, not multiplied by it.

Are ComfortDelGro, SMRT, and Strides fares different?

ComfortDelGro, SMRT, Trans-Cab, Premier, and Prime share the standard tariff (S$4.40 flag-down + S$0.26 per 400 m). Strides Premier charges higher for Large/MPV (S$4.80 + S$0.30) and Luxury (S$5.20 + S$0.38). For the same trip on the five standard operators the metered fare is identical.

Is a Grab ride cheaper than a regular taxi in Singapore?

Grab uses upfront dynamic pricing with booking fees and surge multipliers — sometimes higher, sometimes lower than the regulated meter. A street-hailed taxi always charges the LTA tariff plus regulated surcharges: predictable, but pricier off-peak and cheaper at high surge. This calculator estimates only the regulated meter, not Grab pricing.

When does the LTA update the taxi fare schedule?

LTA reviews the schedule periodically; the most recent revision here is 2025-01-02. New schedules are implemented in `src/data/regions/sg.ts` and deployed via Cloudflare Pages within 24 hours — no app-store review delay. The current effective date is shown on `/fares/`.

Are there surcharges for pets or luggage?

The standard LTA tariff has no flat luggage surcharge — small/medium luggage is free; operators may individually charge S$1–4 for oversize at driver discretion. Pet transport is at driver discretion; Strides and pet-friendly CDG bookings may add S$5–10. Amounts vary, so this meter does not auto-apply them.

Does this calculator include booking surcharge from Grab or CDG app?

No. This calculator computes only the regulated meter fare and LTA-mandated surcharges (peak, midnight, CBD, Changi, MBS, Sentosa, card). Booking surcharges — S$2.30 (off-peak phone) to S$4.50 (peak app) on CDG/SMRT, or any Grab platform fee — are not added. If you booked via an app, add the booking fee shown in that app.

Does Singapore Taxi Meter track me or upload my GPS data?

No. All GPS, distance, fare, and surcharge logic runs inside your browser. No backend, no analytics, no cookie, no third-party tracker, no network request after first page load. Open your browser DevTools Network tab and confirm zero outbound traffic after the first page load.

Can I use it offline or on aeroplane mode?

Yes. After first load the PWA service worker caches all resources; the meter works fully offline (including aeroplane mode) as long as GPS hardware is available — GPS uses satellite, not cellular. Useful for arriving tourists without a Singapore SIM.