Taxi rides are typically metered with fares set by local transportation commissions. Even if you know the exact distance to your destination—which many people don’t—tolls and idling caused by traffic can make the cost unpredictable. To make it more competitive with ride-hailing apps Uber UBER +2.6% and Lyft LYFT +4.3%, on-demand taxi service Curb will roll out upfront pricing nationwide.

Curb is one of several on-demand taxi-hailing apps that enable riders to use their mobile device to request a taxi, track its arrival, and pay their fare. Starting today, users in New York and Washington D.C. will be quoted a fixed rate for their trip in advance that will help them figure out how much the trip will cost before they request a ride.

Fares are determined dynamically using live and historical trip data, and have been fine-tuned using hundreds of thousands of trips during its public beta program the company started in 2018.
More>>