Circular Quay to Airport - Are There Taxi's or Can You Arrange Uber

[beatleman]

29 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

I realise there is a toll if the taxi uses the tunnel, but this applies to taxis that pick up passengers at the OPT or near Central Railway Station.

Beats me, Uncle Les will know.😁

[Aus Traveller]

1 minute ago, beatleman said:

Beats me, Uncle Les will know.😁

Uhh?? Of course the toll on the tunnel applies to all vehicles that use it.

 

We still don't know for sure if there is a levy on taxis using the rank at the OPT. A $5.10 levy has to be paid by taxis using the airport.

Edited November 20, 2022 by Aus Traveller

[buchhalm]

It It never ceases to amaze me,  how, after people paying thousands for a cruise, we are discussing for days if a taxi should cost $5 or $10 more or less...

😏😉

[MMDown Under]

3 hours ago, Aus Traveller said:

I cannot find information online whether or not a taxi rank levy applies at the OPT. The levy at the airport is $5.10. If there is a levy at the OPT, I doubt that it would be $10 but I am inclined to think there is no levy. Is it possible that a taxi driver told his passengers there is a $10 levy and collected the money himself??😁

Ange45 above said there was a $10 surcharge for port.

[Fortunatefew]

On 11/19/2022 at 2:31 PM, Longwood50 said:

The ship's transfer from the cruise port to the airport is full.  I know that unlike other cruise terminals you don't have the parking area that typically has lots of taxi's from the cruise port.  Can anyone suggest where after you depart the cruise in Sydney you go to catch a taxi or make arrangments for an UBER to pick you up.  I would try the train but we will each have 1 large suitcase plus a carry one and I would thinnk that to be quite a hassle. 

 

On 11/19/2022 at 2:31 PM, Longwood50 said:

The ship's transfer from the cruise port to the airport is full.  I know that unlike other cruise terminals you don't have the parking area that typically has lots of taxi's from the cruise port.  Can anyone suggest where after you depart the cruise in Sydney you go to catch a taxi or make arrangments for an UBER to pick you up.  I would try the train but we will each have 1 large suitcase plus a carry one and I would thinnk that to be quite a hassle. 

We got a taxi from the terminal, no problems at all 

[Aus Traveller]

1 hour ago, MMDown Under said:

Ange45 above said there was a $10 surcharge for port.

Yes. She/he did. After extensive checking I can't see where this is an official surcharge (like the one from the airport). I floated the idea that it might have been the taxi driver's personal surcharge. 😁

[Aus Traveller]

1 hour ago, buchhalm said:

It It never ceases to amaze me,  how, after people paying thousands for a cruise, we are discussing for days if a taxi should cost $5 or $10 more or less...

😏😉

We aren't "discussing for days if a taxi should cost $5 or $10 more or less". One point under discussion is whether there is a surcharge to take a taxi from the OPT compared with one from Central Railway station.  When it was stated as fact that there is a surcharge, I am trying to verify it. Once again, I am dubious.

 

A surcharge wouldn't stop me taking a taxi from the OPT. I pay it rather than walk the extra distance dragging luggage. This was the suggestion made earlier.

[gbenjo]

8 hours ago, Aus Traveller said:

I know there is a levy on taxis using the airport, but I am dubious about your suggestion of a levy applying at the OPT.🙂 Graham (gbenjo) would know. We have caught taxis many times from the airport or from the cruise terminal and the fare varies by several dollars depending on many factors other than a levy.

I have never heard of a levy for the OPT rank.  Why would there be? Sounds like a scam from a shonky taxi driver🤑🤑🤑🤑

[lyndarra]

Be aware of a report I read in today's paper (Telegraph). Taxi drivers when hailed ask where you're going then check Uber price and if it is more than a normal cab fare they are quoting it - non metered. Usually in times of high demand.

[buchhalm]

23 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

We aren't "discussing for days if a taxi should cost $5 or $10 more or less". One point under discussion is whether there is a surcharge to take a taxi from the OPT compared with one from Central Railway station.  When it was stated as fact that there is a surcharge, I am trying to verify it. Once again, I am dubious.

 

A surcharge wouldn't stop me taking a taxi from the OPT. I pay it rather than walk the extra distance dragging luggage. This was the suggestion made earlier.

Ooooooohhhh!!!

SOMEBODY got out of the wrong side of the bed today!

 

[Aus Traveller]

37 minutes ago, gbenjo said:

I have never heard of a levy for the OPT rank.  Why would there be? Sounds like a scam from a shonky taxi driver🤑🤑🤑🤑

That was my suggestion - a scam.

[Aus Traveller]

19 minutes ago, buchhalm said:

Ooooooohhhh!!!

SOMEBODY got out of the wrong side of the bed today!

 

You misunderstand. 😁 If there is no levy for taxis at the OPT, surely it is better that we know it and then refuse to pay a scamming taxi driver the extra.

[mr walker]

23 minutes ago, lyndarra said:

Be aware of a report I read in today's paper (Telegraph). Taxi drivers when hailed ask where you're going then check Uber price and if it is more than a normal cab fare they are quoting it - non metered. Usually in times of high demand.

There was a report recently in the media that TV 'celebrity' Scott Cam & his wife got into a Sydney taxi & the driver gave them a 'quote' & refused to turn on the meter. Cam said they had some "words" & they got out of the taxi & then got an uber to the same place and it was significantly cheaper than the taxi driver's quote.

Also recently there were reports that ride share services such as uber would have a NSW govt surcharge added to each fare to be used as compensation for taxi plate owners for their loss of 'plate value' as taxis lost business to other options 😦 Maybe the taxi industry need to clean up their act.

[Aus Traveller]

14 minutes ago, mr walker said:

There was a report recently in the media that TV 'celebrity' Scott Cam & his wife got into a Sydney taxi & the driver gave them a 'quote' & refused to turn on the meter. Cam said they had some "words" & they got out of the taxi & then got an uber to the same place and it was significantly cheaper than the taxi driver's quote.

Also recently there were reports that ride share services such as uber would have a NSW govt surcharge added to each fare to be used as compensation for taxi plate owners for their loss of 'plate value' as taxis lost business to other options 😦 Maybe the taxi industry need to clean up their act.

I read a news report that the NSW government is going to introduce a levy ($1.20 I think it was) on all taxi/uber fares to be used as compensation for the loss of value of taxi plates.

[aussielozzie18]

49 minutes ago, lyndarra said:

Be aware of a report I read in today's paper (Telegraph). Taxi drivers when hailed ask where you're going then check Uber price and if it is more than a normal cab fare they are quoting it - non metered. Usually in times of high demand.

Daughter got a decent Sydney taxi driver last week.  Uber was quoting $80 (high demand pricing).  Taxi did exact same trip for $20 and the driver asked her which of the two routes she would prefer he take.

[Ange45]

Oh my goodness, wish I hadn't bothered posting anything!

All I was trying to answer was that it was very easy to get a taxi to the airport from the OPT this morning, with what it cost me, as an indication for future passengers and in answer to the original question. The driver said it included a levy for "the port" I took that to mean from OPT but he could have also meant the airport I guess. 

Yes, it was more expensive than the train would have been. My concern with the taking the train was changing platforms at Central, due to weekend maintenance work, with a relatively heavy suitcase. The information available on the NSW transport website wasn't clear on whether the lifts were operational or not & not being familiar with the station layout, I made a decision to take a taxi & be sure that I'd make my flight on time. 

As it was I walked out of my cabin at 07:40 & was through security at the airport by 08:40, I'm happy with the decisions I made this morning!

 

 

[Port Power]

1 hour ago, Ange45 said:

Oh my goodness, wish I hadn't bothered posting anything!

All I was trying to answer was that it was very easy to get a taxi to the airport from the OPT this morning, with what it cost me, as an indication for future passengers and in answer to the original question. The driver said it included a levy for "the port" I took that to mean from OPT but he could have also meant the airport I guess. 

Yes, it was more expensive than the train would have been. My concern with the taking the train was changing platforms at Central, due to weekend maintenance work, with a relatively heavy suitcase. The information available on the NSW transport website wasn't clear on whether the lifts were operational or not & not being familiar with the station layout, I made a decision to take a taxi & be sure that I'd make my flight on time. 

As it was I walked out of my cabin at 07:40 & was through security at the airport by 08:40, I'm happy with the decisions I made this morning!

 

 

You were quite correct in posting your experience.  It was a very appropriate answer to the OP.  Don’t let other people get to you.  On most threads there will be those who won’t let go of some minor and irrelevant item which has nothing to do with the original post.  Welcome to Cruise Critic.  And keep posting if you have something to contribute!

[OzKiwiJJ]

14 hours ago, Ange45 said:

Oh my goodness, wish I hadn't bothered posting anything!

All I was trying to answer was that it was very easy to get a taxi to the airport from the OPT this morning, with what it cost me, as an indication for future passengers and in answer to the original question. The driver said it included a levy for "the port" I took that to mean from OPT but he could have also meant the airport I guess. 

Yes, it was more expensive than the train would have been. My concern with the taking the train was changing platforms at Central, due to weekend maintenance work, with a relatively heavy suitcase. The information available on the NSW transport website wasn't clear on whether the lifts were operational or not & not being familiar with the station layout, I made a decision to take a taxi & be sure that I'd make my flight on time. 

As it was I walked out of my cabin at 07:40 & was through security at the airport by 08:40, I'm happy with the decisions I made this morning!

 

 

It's good that you did post that info. Some Sydney taxi drivers get up to all sorts of shonky things so it's important to hear of any possible scams.