Given the dizzying costs of cars in Singapore, taxis form a vital mode of public transport. We can simply hop on a taxi to get from one point to another in a quick and convenient manner.
Given the rising costs of COE and heightened inflation, higher taxi fares are to be expected. On top of this, however, there are also various surcharges, peak hour charges, and other types of charges and fees that we simply cannot constantly keep track of.
Furthermore, even though taxis are considered public transport, the various taxi companies can independently set their own taxi fares. Here’s an overview of the fare structure by each taxi company. Note that while we can now book taxis via their apps (such as ZIG) or through private hire car booking platforms (on Grab and Gojek), we will only be looking at standard taxi fares.
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Taxi Operators In Singapore
There are five taxi operators in Singapore (after SMRT Taxi was rebranded to STRIDES Premier, and subsequently merged with Premier Taxi; and HDT Taxi exited the taxi business in 2020 before GrabCab became the newest taxi operator in July 2025). Taxis in Singapore can easily be distinguished by the colour of their taxis.
Taxi operators will also have various types of cabs and models under their brand, so it is not uncommon to climb on to different model taxis, and even more premium taxis that are not the same colour (think the white Mercedes and London cabs)
There are 4 main components to taxi fares: 1) Flag-down fare; 2) Distance- and Time-based fares; 3) Booking Fees; and 4) Surcharges:
Source of Information: Land Transport Authority (LTA)
Comfort/CityCab
Booking Hotline: 6552 1111
For full fare and fees, visit Comfort / CityCab.
ComfortDelGro has about 10,000 taxis under the Comfort and CityCab brands. These distinctly blue (Comfort) and yellow (CityCab) taxis are likely the most common type we see on the roads.
Different cab types within the Comfort / CityCab fleet will charge slightly different rates. There are various types of vehicles we can expect to hop on:
– Hyundai i-40 Taxi
– Toyota Prius / Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid Taxis
– Hyundai Ioniq EV / Hyundai Kona EV / BYD e6 Electric Vehicle Taxis
– Toyota Sienta Petrol-Hybrid 6-Seater Taxi
– Limousine Cab
STRIDES Premier
Booking Hotline: 6555 8888
For full fare and fees, visit Strides Premier.
SMRT-owned Strides Premier is a relatively new brand in the marketplace – forming Singapore’s second-largest taxi operator after a merger between SMRT’s rebranded Strides Taxi and Premier Taxi. This merger announcement happened in mid-April 2023.
We can’t miss their bright green paint job. For now, we may still see the magenta SMRT Taxis and Premier Taxi’s Silvercab on the road. Taxi models in the fleet include:
– Toyota Prius
– Toyota Corolla
– Kia Niro Plus
– Kia Optima
– Hyundai i30(A)
– Hyundai Ioniq
– MG5
Trans-Cab
Booking Hotline: 6555 3333
For full fare and fees, visit, Trans-Cab.
With just 50 cabs when it started in 2003, Trans-Cab has grown its fleet to over 2,000 today. We can easily recognise these taxis, which have red bodies and white tops, on the roads in Singapore.
Commuters can expect to board these models:
– Toyota Prius
– Renault Latitude
– Toyota Alphard
Prime Taxi
Booking Hotline: 6778 0808
For full fare and fees, visit Prime Taxi.
These copper-coloured taxis operate under the Prime Taxi brand. They are a relatively young taxi operator with a small fleet size, starting up their taxi business in 2007. Cars in the Prime taxi fleet include:
– Toyota Axio
– Toyota Camry
– Toyota Prius
– Toyota Corolla
– Toyota Vellfire
– Toyota Noah
– Honda Grace
– Honda Shuttle
– Toyota Alphard
GrabCab
Booking: via Grab App
For full fare and fees, visit GrabCab.
Operated by Grab, these dark green livery-coloured taxis are the newest taxi operator in Singapore, starting up their taxi business in July 2025. Cars in the GrabCab taxi fleet include:
– Toyota Prius Hybrid
– Hyundai Kona Hybrid
– BYD E6
– Hyundai Kona Hybrid
Taxis Are Here To Stay
Obviously, cars are very expensive in Singapore, and taxis offer a solution for those who want the convenience of dropping off at their destination without having to own and maintain a car.
In tandem with our world-class public transport system, Singapore is striving to transition into a car-lite society. As its name suggests, being a car-lite society means fewer people owning cars and perhaps using taxis when they need to get from one point to another in a hurry or when they are travelling with kids/elderly.
Today, there are over 160 MRT stations across six MRT lines, and 40 additional stations across two LRT lines. Our bus routes are operated by four operators, with Go Ahead Singapore and Tower Transit Singapore supplementing SMRT and SBS Transit. Taxis (as well as private hire cars) will have to complement the MRT and bus routes. The evidence that taxis remain a valuable part of Singapore’s public transport network can be seen in GrabCab starting up their own taxi operations.
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