A Cardiff hackney-carriage fare starts at £3.50. Cardiff Council’s published tariff then charges by distance or slow/waiting time. A one-mile Tariff 1 journey calculates to about £5.30 before waiting; the final meter price depends on traffic, distance, time and permitted extras.
Cardiff Council’s taxi tariffs
Cardiff Council’s official hackney-carriage page publishes three tariffs:
- Tariff 1: Monday to Friday, 05:00–20:00, except public holidays. £3.50 for the first 250 yards, then 20p per 170 yards; waiting or travel below 8mph is 30p per 40 seconds.
- Tariff 2: weekdays 20:00–22:00 and weekends 05:00–22:00, except public holidays. The same minimum, then 20p per 150 yards; waiting or travel below 8mph is 30p per 35 seconds.
- Tariff 3: every day 22:00–05:00 and public holidays. The same minimum, then 20p per 130 yards; waiting or travel below 8mph is 30p per 30 seconds.
Distance-only examples
| Distance | Tariff 1 | Tariff 2 | Tariff 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 mile | about £5.30 | about £5.70 | about £5.90 |
| 2 miles | about £7.50 | about £7.90 | about £8.70 |
These calculations use the council’s distance units and exclude waiting time and extras. They are planning examples, not route quotes.
Extras and journeys outside Cardiff
The council lists £1 for each passenger above four, £3 for specified Christmas and New Year dates, and a £60 soiling charge. For trips within Cardiff, the driver must use the meter and may not exceed the tariff. For a trip ending outside Cardiff, agree the fare before departure; if no fare is agreed, the council says the charge must not exceed the hackney-carriage tariff.
Hackney carriage or private hire?
A Cardiff hackney carriage can be hailed, hired at a rank or pre-booked. A private-hire vehicle must be booked through its operator. Private hire may provide a fixed quote, but it is not automatically cheaper; compare the complete quoted price with the relevant metered tariff.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a taxi in Cardiff cost?
The minimum hackney-carriage fare is £3.50. A one-mile journey calculates to about £5.30 on Tariff 1 before waiting time, but the actual meter price depends on distance, traffic and the applicable tariff.
How much is a taxi from Cardiff city centre to Cardiff Airport?
Cardiff Council does not publish a guaranteed fare for that route. Because the airport is outside Cardiff, ask for and agree a complete fare before departure; otherwise the council’s tariff limit applies.
Are Cardiff taxis more expensive at night?
Yes. Tariff 3 applies from 22:00 to 05:00 and on public holidays, with shorter distance and waiting-time units than Tariff 1.
Summary
Use Cardiff Council’s live tariff for metered journeys and request a complete quote for private hire or an out-of-area trip. Route prices previously shown on this guide have been removed because they were not official quotes.
