Sydney Airport set to introduce fixed taxi fare rides to the CBD
Moderated by Tomas Kauer 
Sydney will soon follow Paris and New York by introducing fixed-fare taxi trips from the airport to the CBD.
Locals and visitors will pay a flat fee of $60 from Sydney Airport under a 12-month trial which will begin on November 3.
Taxi drivers will not be allowed to pass on any additonal tolls or surcharges on top of that price.
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Up to 5000 taxis queue up at the international and domestic terminals at Sydney Airport each day.
The trial was recommended by the NSW Point to Point Commission in response to frequent complaints taxi drivers are taking advantage of first-time arrivals to Sydney.
According to the commission, hotel concierges have raised concerns their guests have paid fares of more than $150 for the 13-kilometre trip to the CBD.
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The Point to Point commissioner has issued more than 1100 fines to taxi drivers since the introduction of the Taxi Fare Hotline in November 2022.
The practice of overcharging and refusing to use meters has even led to drivers touting for business inside the arrivals hall at the airport.
According to the commission, a Sydney taxi driver was fined $2000 for refusing to use the meter and charging an overseas family with a $188.76 fare from the international terminal to a hotel in the CBD.
The NSW taxi industry and the operators of Sydney Airport have supported calls for a flat fare structure.
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NSW Taxi Council CEO Nick Abraham said members of the association believed set fares would provide certainty and confidence for passengers.
"Pending the success of the trial, we would like to see the set fares extended to other locations across Sydney, as well as reciprocated for trips coming back to the airport," Abraham said.
Sydney Airport CEO Scott Charlton said the fixed fare trial puts Sydney on par with cities like New York and Paris.
"More than 40 million people pass through Sydney Airport every year," Charlton said.
"For many, their first experience of Australia is when they get into a taxi.
"Knowing how much they will pay to get to the city is a positive step."
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