Q & A

We attempt here to answer many of the most asked questions concerning Taxis on this page.

This will in most cases help you to help us and yourselves, making sure your taxi arrives on time and is the right vehicle for the job.

Why is my Taxi sometimes late arriving ?

As you will know Northampton suffers from major traffic congestion at certain times of the day.

For instance from Barrack Road to Kingsthorpe and Abington Square to Weston Favell and also St. Peters Way to Towcester Road are particularly bad from around 07.30 - 09.00 and again at around 17.00 - 18.00.

This means that while your taxi arrives on time your journey can result in arriving late due to being caught up in this gridlock

What can I do to make sure my taxi arrives promptly ?

You should allow yourself time for any unforeseen circumstances, traffic jams, road closure or breakdown etc.

You can also help by making sure you have given us all the right details, how many passengers there are, whether an Estate Car is needed, and if the house is hard to locate for some reason.

Another reason for late arriving taxis is the failure to inform us when booking of any additional stops, or that you may wish to wait and return to your original pick up location.

We find that the most common reasons for taxis arriving late are traffic obviously, unclear directions.

Also in cases where the customer may be elderly or disabled, delays can be avoided by making it clear if a certain type of vehicle is going to cause problems.

If you find it difficult to enter a minibus then mention this at the time of booking the taxi, or on the other hand if there are more than 4 persons that you require a mini bus or people carrier and not a normal sized car.

If you are booking a taxi to meet a coach or catch a train then be sure to mention this as well, along with the time of the coach or train departure.

How do I make a complaint ?

In the first instance all complaints can be made to the booking clerk on duty at the time, they assume the role of manager on their particular shift.

They can then decide on the best action and may in serious cases refer you to the company manager or owner.

It is important you contact us as soon as possible

If after exploring these avenues you still feel you are not satisfied then you may wish to complain to Mr. Bruce Sturgess, Council Taxi Officer, Guildhall, Northampton.

We take very seriously any complaint made of our staff or drivers and dismissals have resulted in cases where it was deemed to be the appropriate action.

Are the charges different for Mini Buses ?

Yes, if more than four passengers are travelling our people carriers and minibuses run on a fare and a half.

So a fare that would be £5 in a normal four seater taxi would be £7.50 in cases of 5,6 or 7 passengers.

This is in fact a saving on having 2 normal taxis to transport say 6 people which would have been £10 in this case.

What constitutes an adult in a taxi journey ?

As the law stands even a new born child is classed as a person, age is not a factor.

Any number of people over 4 and up to 7 would need a minibus or people carrier and this should be mentioned when booking the cab. So 4 adults and 1 child would require a people carrier, as would 2 adults and 3 children etc. This is another cause of avoidable delayed bookings when 2 cars have to be sent to cover a job that should have been a minibus booking.

What details do you need for an Airport booking ?

We would need to know the time and date of your departure or arrival flight, then the number of passengers and amount of luggage and of course your chosen airport.

For return journeys we would need the flight number and its point of origin, and obviously the airport it arrives at.

When booking your cab please remember to allow for booking in times to the journey time.

As an example if you needed to be checked in at Luton Airport at 05.00 you need to leave Northampton at around 03.45.

If you are picking up friends at another address along the way then mention this when booing the cab and staff will advise you of a suitable pick up time.

It is far better to arrive early and have piece of mind than to be worrying about making your flight.

I think I have lost something in one of your taxis, what do I do

Firstly make certain it was the taxi you lost your item in, in most cases things turn up later in a variety of places.

Then it is imperative you ring as soon as possible and inform us of the journey you took and any information you can remember about the driver or vehicle.

Please take into account that in a period of 30 minutes a vehicle may have picked up several more fares since your journey and this increases the chances of your item being found and stolen by someone.

Then if it was a mobile phone you lost, ring it and the driver may answer it.

If this fails have the phone blocked so there is no unauthorised access to it and avoiding any undue charges.

If any bank cards or credit cards have been lost then we suggest having them stopped with your local bank.

The majority of our drivers are honest individuals and do bring lost property to the office for safe keeping but please be aware that lost items are not our responsibility.

How do I become a Taxi Driver ?

You will need to visit the Town Hall and ask for Mr. Bruce Sturgess.

You can find him in the office dealing with Hackney and Private Hire matters.

They will give you the forms and information on what to do.

You will have to pass a medical examination and a police check before being given your badge.