The $500 Note, the Long Way Round and the Receipt
Use the fare table displayed in the taxi: flag fall $27 for the first 2 km; $1.90 for each subsequent 200 m or part thereof; waiting time $1.90 per minute or part thereof; baggage carried in the luggage compartment $6 per piece. The hire runs 12.45 km from Happy Valley to a hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui East via the Cross-Harbour Tunnel. You were stationary in traffic for 4 minutes. There are two large suitcases in the boot and a small handbag on the passenger's lap. You paid the tunnel toll of $30 at the booth. The meter, which is accurate and sealed, shows the correct metered amount. The passenger hands you a $500 note; your float is $150 in change. He then says you "went the long way round" and demands a receipt.
1. Calculate the total amount payable, showing clearly what is on the meter and what is added to it.
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On the meter
- Flag fall, first 2 km: $27.00
- Remaining distance: 12.45 km − 2 km = 10.45 km = 10,450 m. At 200 m or part thereof: 10,450 ÷ 200 = 52.25, which rounds up to 53 chargeable units. 53 × $1.90 = $100.70
- Waiting: 4 minutes × $1.90 = $7.60
- Metered amount = $27.00 + $100.70 + $7.60 = $135.30
Added outside the meter
- Baggage in the luggage compartment: 2 pieces × $6 = $12.00. The handbag on the passenger's lap is not in the compartment and is not charged.
- Tunnel toll actually paid: $30.00
Total payable = $135.30 + $12.00 + $30.00 = $177.30
The key discipline is the split: the meter alone cannot show the baggage charge or the toll, so they must be stated separately and at cost - never rounded up, never estimated.
2. He hands you a $500 note. Change due is $322.70 and your float is $150. What do you do?
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Say something before you take the note. Counting out $322.70 from a $150 float is impossible, and once you have the note in your hand you are the one who owes the change.
The correct approach:
- Tell him the total and that you cannot break a $500 note from your float, and ask whether he has a smaller note or can pay by Octopus or card.
- If he has nothing smaller, offer a workable route: ask the hotel concierge to break the note with him present, or take payment inside where change can be obtained - with his agreement, and without letting him leave without paying.
- Do not keep the difference, do not "round up" the fare, and do not simply hand the note back and drive off leaving the fare unpaid.
If the fare genuinely cannot be settled, note the details and report it rather than either absorbing the loss or over-holding the customer. Starting each shift with an adequate float is the driver's responsibility and is what prevents this situation.
3. He claims you took the long way round and demands a receipt. How do you respond, and what should the receipt show?
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The receipt: issue it. You are required to give a receipt when a passenger asks for one, and refusing turns a routine query into a complaint that will be upheld against you.
What it should show: the total amount, the date and time, the vehicle registration mark, and a breakdown of the metered amount, the baggage charge and the toll. A receipt showing one lump sum with no breakdown is exactly what makes a later dispute unwinnable.
The route complaint: explain the route you took and why - via the Cross-Harbour Tunnel to Tsim Sha Tsui East is the direct line, and the meter, not your opinion, fixes the fare. Do not become defensive and do not add anything to the fare in response.
What you must not do: charge more than the meter plus the permitted additions; offer an arbitrary "discount" to end the argument without recording it; or refuse the receipt until he stops complaining. If he remains dissatisfied, tell him he may report the matter, give him the registration mark, and let it be resolved properly. The meter was accurate and sealed, so your record supports you.