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Taiwan

Kaohsiung

A port city in southern Taiwan. The light rail circles the city centre, and the MRT runs straight to the airport.

Taxis and ride-hailing (計程車)

Apps dispatch two kinds of car: yellow metered taxis, and multi-purpose taxis barred by law from yellow. The latter are booking-only and may charge up to twice the meter - legal, and the total shows before you ride.

Updated 17 days ago

How to ride

  1. 1
    A yellow car is a metered taxi
    Multi-purpose cars are barred by law from taxi yellow, so a non-yellow car arriving from an app is normal.
  2. 2
    Match the quote and the car in the app
    The route and an estimated fare appear before you confirm; match the plate and the driver on screen first.
  3. 3
    In a metered taxi, watch the meter start
    In a car taken at a rank or flagged down, check that the meter has started before you move off.
  4. 4
    The airport splits its pickup points
    Ranked, cruising and online-booked cars use separate points. The online-booking one opened in June 2026; follow the app.
  5. 5
    Settle how you will pay before you set off
    Cash, card and iPASS MONEY are not taken everywhere - it depends on the car and the category.
  6. 6
    Note the plate and the driver's licence number
    If something goes wrong you will need the plate, the driver's name and licence number, and the time and place.

Typical costs

How the meter adds up7

Taxi base fare (first 1.25 km)
The city's published rate for ordinary taxis; multi-purpose cars are priced off this figure as their floor.
85 TWD ≈ $3
Distance increment (per 200 m)
Charged beyond the base distance; at night the step tightens to every 167 m.
5 TWD ≈ $0.2
Slow-traffic time increment
Added for every 100 seconds below 5 km/h, and every 83 seconds at night.
5 TWD ≈ $0.2
Night base fare (23:00-06:00)
The 20% night uplift arrives by shrinking the base distance to 1.042 km rather than by adding to the total.
85 TWD ≈ $3
Lunar New Year surcharge
Only for the Lunar New Year break, not other holidays; the meter includes it, so pay what it shows.
50 TWD ≈ $2
Typhoon or heavy-rain day surcharge
Only on days when the city declares a full work stoppage across Kaohsiung.
50 TWD ≈ $2
Airport service charge at the international terminal rank
Only when you board at the international terminal's metered rank; nothing is added at the domestic one.
50 TWD ≈ $2

Estimates use exchange rates as of September 5, 2026

A yellow metered taxi can be taken at a rank or flagged down; a non-yellow multi-purpose car is booking-only and cannot be hailed on the street.

Payment

Card payment on board
In a car taken in the city, check for a terminal before you set off
The airport's ranked taxis have taken cards since 15 December 2024
IC card
It varies by operator and car - check before you ride
On board: yoxi lists Easy Card and iPASS as ways to pay
App tickets
yoxi
In the wallet: You can pay by card inside the app
QR ticketing
Cars outside those designated vehicles do not take it
On board: Designated Taiwan Taxi cars take iPASS MONEY by scanning the code
Cash
Not accepted in Uber's multi-purpose car categories
On board: With Uber, cash is limited to the Uber Taxi (yellow cab) option

Tap for where to get the app

Quick facts

Hours
Apps dispatch around the clock
Fares from
85 TWD+

Heads-up

  • An app quote can legitimately reach twice the meter

    The operator sets the price of a multi-purpose taxi, but the band Kaohsiung approves runs from the ordinary metered rate as the floor to twice that rate as the ceiling. A quote above the meter is still inside the rules. The total appears before you ride, so judge it there.

  • The airport's NT$50 belongs to the rank taxi

    The NT$50 airport service charge is authorised for a ranked taxi picking up at the designated rank point. Multi-purpose cars may not join a rank queue at all, so if a car you booked in an app asks for it verbally, ask what it is for before paying.

  • Record the details first; complaints go to different bodies

    Where you take a complaint depends on what happened, so secure the evidence first - the plate, the driver's name and occupational licence number, the time and the place, with a recording if you have one. Overcharging and conduct go to the city transport bureau, detours and refusals to the police, and a faulty meter to the Bureau of Standards.

Timetable

Operating hours Apps dispatch around the clock
Typical duration The option for places off the two metro lines and the light rail, for late nights, and for heavy bags
Check the official site for the latest times and service status