Quote:
Originally Posted by Fat Charlie
Do cabbies care about mpg? Probably not.
Taxis get paid flat rate. A taxi ride is piece work- the fare is the same if it takes 10 minutes or an hour to get there, so it's in the driver's best interest to get it over with and be ready for another customer.
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A fare is not a flat rate. The meter is still running when the car is stopped, or traveling below a certain speed threshold. However, the rate paid for sitting still is much lower than the distance rate, so cabbies will still prefer to make good time. It's better to have multiple fares where you can make good time than to have a single fare that has you stuck in traffic.
I'd be much less efficient driving a cab than I am normally, just because I don't want to annoy my clients. I'm going to get them where they want to be as quickly as I can safely and lawfully do so.
Truckers get paid by the mile, so they get paid the faster they go. It's likely in the interest of the truck owners to have the trucks moving faster too, despite the reduced fuel economy because they get paid for each delivery. More deliveries = more money.