passenger
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passenger
A person who travels in a public or private means of transport (e.g., bus, train, taxi, airplane), but does not drive it themselves or accompany it as staff.
Der Busfahrer bat die Fahrgäste, im hinteren Teil des Busses Platz zu nehmen.
The bus driver asked the passengers to take seats in the rear part of the bus.
The word is made up of 'fahren' (to travel/drive) and 'Gast' (guest). A Fahrgast is therefore literally a 'guest who travels'—which helps you understand the meaning as a paying passenger.
Als Fahrgast haben Sie das Recht auf einen sicheren Transport.
As a passenger, you have the right to safe transport.
'Fahrgast' is the official and formal term. It is used especially by transport companies in announcements, on signs, and in conditions of carriage.
Sehr geehrte Fahrgäste, wir erreichen in Kürze den Hauptbahnhof.
Dear passengers, we will shortly arrive at the main station.
Typical verbs used with 'Fahrgast' are 'einsteigen' (to board/get on), 'aussteigen' (to get off), and 'umsteigen' (to change/transfer). You also often hear the phrase 'Fahrgäste werden gebeten, ...' (passengers are requested to ...).
Alle Fahrgäste müssen an der nächsten Station aussteigen.
All passengers must get off at the next station.
driver
'der Fahrer' and 'der Fahrgast' both belong to a trip in a means of transport. The important difference is: the driver operates the vehicle, while the passenger only rides along. You can confuse the words because both people may be sitting in the same bus, taxi, or car. If you want to say who controls the vehicle, 'Fahrer' fits. If you mean a person riding along, 'Fahrgast' fits.
Im Taxi war ich nur Fahrgast und musste mich nicht um den Weg kümmern.
In the taxi, I was only a passenger and did not have to worry about the route.
Der Fahrer des Busses wartet noch auf zwei Fahrgäste.
The bus driver is still waiting for two passengers.