Taxi meters will soon be creeping to higher digits, thanks to a 10% fare increase approved yesterday by the Public Services Regulatory Authority (ARESEP).

The fare passengers pay depends on the type of taxi they take. For regular, “sedan,” taxis, the price of the first kilometer will increase from ¢365 ($0.71) to ¢405 ($0.78), while each additional kilometer will jump from ¢340 ($0.66) to ¢380 ($0.74), according to a statement from ARESEP.

The “waiting fare,” or time a taxi driver must wait with his or her engine turned off after being called by a user, increased from ¢2,015 ($3.90) to ¢2,205 ($4.27) per hour. The “delay fare,” calculated when a taxi is forced to travel slower than 10 km per hour because of traffic, increased from ¢3,300 ($6.40) to ¢3,650 ($7.07) per hour.

Fares for special taxis that accommodate disabled passengers also went up from ¢365 ($0.71) to ¢405 ($0.78) for the first kilometer, ¢330 ($0.64) to ¢365 ($0.71) for each additional kilometer, ¢2,060 ($3.99) to ¢2,245 ($4.35) per hour for waiting and ¢3,300 ($6.40) to ¢3,650 ($7.07) for travel slower than 10 km per hour.

For rural taxis, the first kilometer as well as each additional kilometer increased from ¢365 ($0.71) to ¢405 ($0.78), while the “waiting fare” increased from ¢2,135 ($4.14) to ¢2,325 ($4.50) and the “delay fare” increased from ¢3,650 ($7.07) to ¢4,050 ($7.85) per hour.

These new fares will go into effect as soon as they are published in the official government daily La Gaceta, which is scheduled for Thursday, according to ARESEP spokeswoman Carolina Mora.

The regulatory authority reminds taxi users that these fares do not vary according to road conditions, trip length, the user's nationality, holidays or whether the trip originated from a hotel or other tourist destination.