Travel Explorations

When Going from Downtown to a Suburb, Do Cabs Have Flat Rates?

May 7th, 2011 Brandon Caldwell

Many cab companies in cities all across the country are utilizing more and more flat rates structures. In most cities, this is only present in one primary drive. That is the one from the airport to a downtown center, and vice versa. The cab companies in many major cities have established this as a consistent place where a flat fare will be offered to those who need to utilize taxi services. However, some companies in certain locales are expanding on the notion, and there are now times where you can pay a flat rate to more destinations throughout a greater metropolitan area.

Generally speaking, flat rates aren't something that you're going to encounter in too many situations, but now there are some cab companies that have decided that this is the best way to enforce rates from downtown centers when traveling out to a suburb in large cities. In a way, this is a type of consumer protection, designed to make sure that travelers get a fair price when taking cabs long distances in unfamiliar cities.

If a taxi company has flat rates for travel out to a suburb, this should be clearly listed in the cab itself. Most of the time, if a taxi has a flat rate for anything; it should be posted on a rate sheet inside the cab somewhere. Usually, this is just going to be on the back of the front seat, on the outside of the cab, or on the window. If you don't see a flat rate posted, then don't assume that you're going to get one.

If you need a ride out to a suburb, it can be worth calling around to a few taxi companies to see if you can find a flat rate. If you do a little research you should be able to find a company that will provide you with a flat rate from the primary cities downtown out to the downtown of a suburb.

Remember that if you find a flat rate, it is usually only to a specific location in the suburb. If you're not traveling to a business or a downtown center, you may have to pay extra fare to get taken to a residential are in that suburb. This is another of those things which may differ from company to company, so always check beforehand so that you know how much to expect your ride to cost.