Why your taxi fare changes when you cross a Welsh county line

Wales does not have one taxi fare. Each of the 22 councils publishes its own maximum hackney tariff. Cross from Ceredigion into Pembrokeshire, or from Cardiff into Newport, and the meter table changes — even for the same kind of licensed taxi.

That is not a Know Wales invention. Councils themselves compare neighbours when they consult on rises. Ceredigion’s own consultation table put its starting fare and per-mile rate next to Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Powys. Gwynedd’s licensing committee has discussed lifting a one-mile maximum explicitly to “align with several other councils.”

What that means for you

• Hackney (rank or hail): the meter must follow the licensing area you are in, up to that council’s published maximum.
• Private hire (pre-booked): the price is what you agreed when you booked. Neighbouring council tables are not your quote.
• A “UK average” 2-mile fare (trade league tables exist) is useful for operators, not for planning a Saturday night in Tenby.

Worked pattern (illustrative)

Neighbouring maxima diverge on flag, first distance, and waiting. One council’s cheaper flag can still cost more over two miles if the increment is steeper. That is why Know Wales keeps a town page fed by the council table, not a single Wales average.

Compare Tariff 1 across councils on taxi fare compare, then open the town page for the place you are actually hiring in — for example Cardiff, Swansea, or Tenby.

If the meter looks wrong

For a licensed hackney using that council’s table, the meter should not exceed the published maximum. Note plate, time and route, and contact licensing. Pre-booked private hire is a different contract — see hackney vs private hire.

Figures move when councils consult. Recheck the dated table on the town page before you treat any comparison as current.