Are you using the meter?
'Tassametro' — 'tas-SA-me-tro'. Four syllables; double 's'; stress on second syllable.
Ask at the start of the journey to confirm the driver is using the official taximeter rather than charging an arbitrary price.
'Usa' is the third-person singular present of 'usare' (to use), in the formal 'Lei' form. 'Il tassametro' is the taximeter. In Italy, taxis must use the meter for all city journeys unless a fixed rate applies.
Il contatore è attivo?
Is the meter running?
'Contatore' is a less common synonym for taximeter.
Il prezzo è al tassametro?
Is the price by the meter?
Confirms the billing method diplomatically.
Perché non ha azzerato il tassametro?
Why haven't you reset the meter?
Use assertively if the meter was not reset at journey start.
Taximeter fraud is rare in Italy but not unheard of at major tourist sites. Always watch the driver reset the meter to zero at the start of the journey. The tariff (T1, T2, T3) shown should match the time of day.