Why Does the Taxi Fare Vary for the Same Route in Egypt, and How Do You Get a Fair Price?

The same trip in Egypt can cost different amounts for reasons that are fair and reasons that are not. Unfair: haggling and the driver's guess in a street taxi, and price multipliers at peak times on some apps. Fair: a longer return route because of one-way streets, an added stop, keeping the captain waiting, or riding after midnight. Taxi Masr has no surge pricing, and the price is shown before you request and fixed when you confirm, so you always know why a number changed.

5 reasons the same trip costs a different amount

1. Haggling and the street driver's estimate

When the meter is not running, the driver estimates a price based on the time, the traffic and your destination, and sometimes on how well he thinks you know the distance. There is no fixed number to measure against.

2. Peak pricing on some apps

Some apps raise the price automatically when demand outstrips available cars: school pickup time, in the rain, late at night. The same trip can change price within minutes.

3. The way back is not the way there

Mansoura, like any city, has one-way streets, bridges and U-turns. The trip there might be 4 km and the trip back 5 km, a real difference in distance that shows up in the meter fare.

4. Stops and waiting

Stopping on the way to buy something or drop someone off lengthens the route, and a long wait at the pickup point has a cost.

5. Night

Many tariffs have a night rate. On Taxi Masr the meter is 25% higher from midnight to 5 am only.

How does Taxi Masr's meter calculate the price?

• Start: EGP 20.
• Distance: EGP 5 per kilometre.
• Time: EGP 0.50 per minute of the route's expected duration, with a EGP 20 minimum per trip.
• Night: 25% more from midnight to 5 am, and no other increase; no surge with demand or rain.
• Waiting: the first 5 minutes at the pickup are free, then EGP 1.50 a minute, capped at EGP 30.
• Offers: a captain may send you an offer up to 20% below the meter, and the price never goes above the meter.

Worked example: one trip, five prices

A 4 km trip in Mansoura expected to take 12 minutes. Distances and times are approximate; the exact price for your route is shown in the app before you request:

Every difference in the table has a reason you can see before you request or know in advance. Rain, traffic and rush hour do not change the formula.

5 steps to keep your daily trips predictable

1. Know the price before you ride: set the pickup and destination in the app and check the price before you request.
2. Add stops from the start: add up to 5 stops when booking so they are in the route and the price, instead of stopping unexpectedly.
3. Be ready when the captain arrives: the first 5 minutes of waiting are free, then waiting minutes are charged.
4. Schedule your regular trips: book the morning ride in advance; the app reminds you 15 minutes before and starts searching for a captain about 10 minutes before the time.
5. Pay the amount shown: cash for exactly that amount, InstaPay, or card on a POS terminal if the captain has one.

Frequently asked questions about varying taxi fares

Why is the trip back a few pounds more than the trip there?

Usually because the return route is longer due to one-way streets. Each extra kilometre adds EGP 5, and each extra minute of expected duration EGP 0.50.

Does Taxi Masr raise prices at rush hour or in the rain?

No. Taxi Masr has no surge pricing. The only increase is 25% from midnight to 5 am.

Does the price change if we hit traffic after the trip starts?

No. The price is fixed when you confirm the request. What can be added is waiting at the pickup point after the first 5 minutes.

Do I lose my change if the captain has none?

Pay the exact amount by InstaPay, or by card on a POS terminal if the captain has one. In-app card payment is being activated.

Can I pay less than the meter?

Yes. A captain may offer you up to 20% off, with a EGP 20 minimum per trip, and you choose the offer that suits you.

Do not guess your fare. Download Taxi Masr and see the price of your trip, and the reason for every pound in it, before you request.