Booking a taxi that comes on time

I am local here from Canberra and I would always prefer ACTCabs. Also, I would like to recommend every one as they have friendly driver and good cars. Aside from there you have uber available most of time. if they are not available then I would prefer Actcabs.

Uber is a coming.. http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/uber-to-launch-in-canberra-act-government-to-cut-taxi-licence-fees-and-regulate-ridesharing-20150929-gjx7a7.html

I’ve very rarely had issues with cabs, that I’ve booked anyway – there was an incident of one giving me a free ride who I legitimately thought was going to kidnap me.. my own fault for getting in a random car at midnight on a Friday I guess.

The only issue I’ve had is with the SMS notification, for some reason I had multiple that I just never received it (is it automated or does the driver need to remember to do something?) and therefore missed the pick up because I never knew they had arrived.

Otherwise no issues, never had any airport cab problems but I generally request it 5mins before I need it just in case.

I wonder how much of a stink the taxi owners would kick up if the Government was to issue taxi plates to anyone who pays the $25k, with no restriction on number of plates issued?

My wife booked a taxi a couple of months back to take her and our baby to the airport. 15 minutes prior to the booking she called and double checked everything was alright and was told wait 15 minutes. Then 15 minutes after the pick up time she called again and said no taxi drivers wanted to pick her up because of the baby seat requirement.

WTF. What’s the point of booking of booking a cab if they just choose not to show up?

This was with Cabxpress and I lodged a complaint but no one cared. The sooner these guys are gone the better.

I use the Go Catch app. You can see which driver has accepted and track where the driver is.

Uber Uber – can’t get here quick enough. All those naysayers, don’t knock it till youve tried it…

I booked a taxi for a Friday 1pm pickup a week out, using the App – Gungahlin to airport for a flight to Europe via Melbourne.

The taxi did not show. I rang the company and they said “yes, we can see your booking but no one has picked it up”. When I said I now was in danger of missing my flight and therefore the following 3 other flights they said ‘oh – sorry about that’.

I rang the other Canberra cab company and they said they’d have someone there in 5 minutes. They didn’t show either.

My neighbour happened to be getting in his car to drive to the shops and saw me outside, luggage strewn over the driveway with a look of fear on my face. He knew my car was being repaired and offered me a lift. Thank goodness – otherwise I’d have missed my flights.

Just as we got to the airport – the first taxi company rang and was angry with me because the driver was waiting outside my house and I was not answering. I told them he was over 45 minutes late.

Bring on Uber, I say!

If you need the transport for an “important” reason, then you may like to consider silver service taxis. They charge $11 flagfall, but they have always turned up 10 minutes before I have booked them. Good for airport transport.

I have often used Cabxpress for those early-morning starts to the airport – the only time they were ever late, they called me 15 mins beforehand to ask me if them being 10 minutes late would be an issue.

The fact is that things happen, the cab might be late, or there might be an incident on the road, so people who try to schedule their arrival at the airport for the last possible moment are the architects of their own misfortune.

Personally, I factor in an extra 20-30 minutes which 9 times out of 10 results in me being able to have a stress-free trip and to fit in an unhurried coffee at the airport prior to boarding.