Sri Lanka Three-Wheeler (Tuk-Tuk) Fare Calculator

Three-wheeler (tuk-tuk) tariffs in Sri Lanka are set by each provincial council under its Road Passenger Transport Authority. The Western Provincial Council's gazette is the most-cited reference because the Western Province carries the heaviest tuk-tuk traffic (Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara). The Sri Lanka Three-Wheeler Owners' Association has aligned its recommended national rate to the same numbers, and most other provincial councils follow suit in practice. This calculator hard-codes those defaults and lets you override them if your local gazette differs.

The fare formula has three components:

1. Distance. The first kilometre is a flat flag-down fare of Rs 80. Every kilometre after that is charged at Rs 60 per km, so a trip of d km costs Rs 80 + max(0, d − 1) × Rs 60.
2. Waiting time. If the driver waits for you during the trip (a quick errand stop, for example), the gazette permits Rs 2 per minute. Most metered tuk-tuks have a waiting-time button; unmetered drivers may quote a round figure.
3. Meter rounding. Tuk-tuk meters display the total rounded up to the nearest LKR 5. The calculator applies the same rule (ceil(total ÷ 5) × 5) so the displayed figure is the figure you should hand over.

The optional night/holiday surcharge (+25%) is not part of the WPC gazette. It is exposed as an opt-in toggle because some ride-hailing apps add a similar charge after 22:00 — the toggle lets you preview that quote without legitimising it as a regulated rate.

The calculator cross-checks every result two ways: a step-by-step breakdown (flag-down, distance, waiting, rounding) and a single-expression form (ceil((F + max(0, d − 1) × R + w × W) × N / 5) × 5). When both methods agree to the rupee a green confirmation appears under the breakdown — the same kind of dual-method verification used on the IRD tax calculator on this site.

A reverse-lookup field lets you enter what the driver actually asked for. The calculator returns the implied per-km rate and the ratio against the gazetted maximum, so you have a number to negotiate with.

• Western Provincial Council — Gazette Extraordinary (three-wheeler hiring fare regulations)
• Department of Motor Traffic, Sri Lanka — three-wheeler registration & fare guidelines
• Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka — background on the provincial regulatory framework
• National Transport Commission — passenger transport oversight and complaints

The flag-down, per-km, and waiting figures on this page were last cross-checked against the above sources on 2026-05-16. The page is reviewed after any new WPC gazette amendment or association tariff update. The PickMe / Uber comparison band is indicative and drawn from typical published estimates over 2024–2025 — these platforms are not regulated and their dynamic pricing can vary.