Flat rate rides between McCarran International Airport and the Las Vegas resort corridor kicked in Friday, about two weeks earlier than planned.

The six-month pilot program originally set to go into effect Jan. 1 but was moved earlier to work out any issues that may arise ahead of a pair of visitor-heavy dates, said Terri Williams, Nevada Taxicab Authority spokeswoman.

“The (taxi) industry requested the start date to be moved up from the original date of Jan. 1 in order to provide some lead time to work out any issues that might be encountered in advance of the busy holiday and CES travel period,” Williams said. “All of the parameters around the program are the same, only the launch date changed.”

The three zones range in price from $19 to $27.

Zone 1: Sunset Road north to Tropicana Avenue: $19.

Zone 2: Tropicana north to Flamingo Road: $23.

Zone 3: Flamingo north to the Stratosphere: $27.

Aside from the Strip, the zones also cover outlying properties including The Orleans, Hard Rock Hotel and the Palms.

The fares were determined using the average fares — with those under $10 and over $50 excluded — to and from various resorts and McCarran.

The pilot program comes as taxicab ridership continues to drop with the emergence of ride-hailing companies and the reputation the taxi industry has for some drivers “long hauling” passengers.

If the pilot program proves successful, other areas, like downtown Las Vegas and the Boulder Strip, could be included.