What is the name of the device that measures taxi fare?

What is the name of the device that measures taxi fare? Taximeter. A taximeter is the fare-calculating device fitted in a licensed taxi. It combines the distance travelled with the elapsed time, applying the local tariff to determine what the passenger owes. A display lets the passenger see the running fare and, normally, the final amount.

Early taximeters were mechanical instruments, using clockwork, gears, and connections to the vehicle’s wheels or transmission. Modern units are electronic and may connect with payment terminals, printers, dispatch systems, GPS, and regulatory monitoring equipment. The word combines “taxi” with “meter,” meaning a device that measures.

The fare does not always rise solely because a taxi is moving. When traffic slows or the vehicle waits, a time-based charge can apply, depending on the local rules and tariff. That is why a journey of the same distance may cost different amounts in heavy traffic. A taximeter is not the same as an odometer, which records distance, or a speedometer, which shows speed; it uses measurements to calculate a regulated fare.