Taxi Fare Builder — LTA Fiji published tariff, line by line

Fiji's metros are noisy. Suva, Nadi and Lautoka all use the same LTA-published tariff — flag FJD 1.50 + FJD 0.80/km — but in practice only a handful of cabs run an actual calibrated meter. Most drivers quote a round number based on the route and the traffic; the meter is shown as a courtesy, not an enforcement.

Phone-book has a real surcharge. If you call a base (instead of waving one down on the rank), the dispatcher adds a FJD 5 phone-book fee to cover the dead-head to your pickup. Cabify and Wasab — the two apps actually operating in Fiji — add a FJD 3 booking fee and a FJD 2 surge window during Friday-evening Suva traffic. The calculator applies the lower FJD 3 for apps.

Night surcharge is 25% on the meter total, applied between 22:00 and 06:00. It is not applied to luggage or extra-passenger fees. Drivers sometimes round the night surcharge up to the next FJD 5 — that is a negotiation you can decline.

More than 4 pax means a station-wagon-class taxi, which costs an extra FJD 5 because of the dispatcher's van premium. The LTA tariff caps sedan capacity at 4; for 5–8 pax the van carries the same luggage fee structure as sedans. Above 8, you're not in a taxi any more — you're in a minibus.

Luggage over 2 pieces is FJD 2 per bag. Surfboards, dive tanks and large dive bags count as two. Drivers occasionally insist on FJD 5 for oversized; that's negotiable back to FJD 2 if you have a calibrated meter.

Always ask before you start. The single biggest mistake tourists make is getting in and asking the destination — drivers will then name a price that may not match the meter. Ask the price before opening the door, in cash or "what does the meter say".

• Not the legal rate. LTA's tariff is the published reference; many drivers charge below it (short hops) or well above (night, rain).
• Not a guarantee. A driver can refuse the meter and quote a flat rate; you can take it or leave it.
• Not for app surge windows. Cabify Friday-evening surge can be 1.5–2× the meter total; the calculator uses FJD 3 as the standard booking fee.
• Not for cross-island runs. A Suva-to-Naxi or Nadi-to-Suva is inter-city; the operators (Yellow Transfer, Pacific Transport) post published zone prices, not meter.
• Not for resort transfers. Resort-operated shuttles are separate products at negotiated rates.