subject: Flat Rate Cab Rides [print this page] When riding in a taxi, you normally expect to see that meter start turning from the minute that you close the door of the cab. There are some Forest Park taxi services, though, that are going to price certain types of rides differently. It is more and more common to see taxi services pricing rides as a flat rate rather than as a metered far. Normally, this is seen when moving to and from airports and downtown centers, but the model is beginning to spread.
In the past, flat rates were normally only used when dealing with transportation involving airports. This is because most of the people coming into airports are travelers who did not know the city. In order to provide them with a fair, affordable, and safe ride into the central district of a city from the airport (which are usually on the outskirts of a city) cab companies put flat rate fares into effect.
Flat rate cab rides are now being used to offer fairly priced rides between more and more districts in many major cities. One of the places that this is showing up the most is in the rides that are offered between the downtown areas of major metropolitan areas and the suburbs of that city. There is a great deal of traffic between major centers downtown, where many people work, and their suburbs. Part of offering reasonable flat rates between these areas is positioning taxis as a good alternative transportation method for commuting between these areas.
Generally speaking, flat rates are going to be more affordable than a metered ride. Be sure to know that if you take a flat rate ride to a suburb though, that you may have to pay more if you're not just driving to the central area of that suburb. If you need to be taken out to a residential area you may have a metered ride on top of your flat fee.
Cabs that offer flat rate pricing on any of their rides should have this clearly posted inside the car. Usually this will be displayed somewhere on the window of the car so that you can clearly see if there is going to be a flat rate available. If you're planning a ride beforehand, you could check the website of the cab company that you want to ride with to see if they have flat rate rides out to suburbs.
