Taxi Tips from Miltonkeynes.com...

Never rely on a taxi!
Taxi companies (especially the larger ones) can never guarantee that a taxi will arrive on time. Even when you book in advance you still shouldn't rely completely on taxis, they may be 95% punctual but it is worth having a plan B to get to your important appointments.

Overcharged?
If you think that the driver is asking for too much money for your fare, call the Taxi company whilst you are still in the car. They will have the booking logged on the system and can give you a good estimate of what the journey should cost and it is much better for them to confront the driver about over-charging than you alone. Also, it is much better to do this whilst you are still in the taxi than after the event, as there is usually no refund policy with taxis and you can't prove anything.

Ask for a Mini-Bus
If you are travelling in a party of more than 4 people, ask for a Mini-bus. It's obvious really but some taxi companies will send 2 cars for 5 people so that 2 of their drivers get a fare. Mini buses are more expensive than cars but when split between 8 people it works out a lot cheaper.

Always Book
Never get into a Private Hire taxi without booking, this is called 'blagging' and is illegal for taxi drivers on a Private Hire License. If you do use an unbooked taxi, there will be no record of the journey so the driver has to make up a (usually extortionate) price on the spot, if you leave any property in the taxi you have no hope of getting it back, you are also not insured should anything happen. It's fine to get into a 'Hackney' cab without booking as these are fully licensed to pick up unbooked fares, Private Hire Taxis are usually Saloon or estate cars and Hackney cabs are usually Black Cab London style, larger cars.