I understand that if you call for a taxi in Rome, the meter starts running when the driver leaves his current location to attend your pickup location. If you uss a taxi app, dies it provide a fare estimate which includes this upftont meter cost?
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San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
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The app gives you the total estimate but the actual final price will be determined at the end of the ride busy the meter. At that point you can choose to pay via the app, or directly to the driver (with cash or card). It’s not like Uber where the price is determined and paid before you start the ride.
I wouldn’t worry too much about the meter starting at the time of dispatch. It’s really a very small amount as taxi drivers usually come from nearby.
Be aware that regardless of when the meter starts, even if you board the taxi at a stand, there is a fixed initial flag down fee before the meter even comes into play. During the day that initial flag down fee is 3€ on weekdays (incl. Saturday), it’s 5€ on Sundays and Holidays, and 7€ in the evenings (10pm to 6am) of every day.
No tip shall be left to a taxi driver in Italy, under penalty of scorn and damnation by Italian people (taxi drivers are the most hated category by Italians, even more so than lawyers or used car dealers).