How taxi pricing works

There\u2019s no mystery and no \u201csurge\u201d games. Here\u2019s exactly what makes up the price you see on the booking form.

The short version

• Airport runs (Gatwick, Heathrow, Stansted, Luton, City, Southampton) are fixed prices. The price never changes based on time of day or traffic.
• Every other journey is dynamically priced: distance + journey time + a small booking fee, with a multiplier if demand is unusually high.
• You see the exact total before you confirm. No meter, no surprises.

What goes into a non-airport price

Component	What it is
Base charge	The starting fare that covers turning up to your pickup.
Per-mile rate	Calculated from the actual driving distance for your route, using Google Maps.
Per-minute rate	Calculated from the predicted journey time at the time you book. This handles slow town traffic fairly.
Booking fee	A small platform fee (currently 50p). Shown as a single line in your quote.
Surge multiplier	Used only when demand is unusually high (e.g. New Year\u2019s Eve). Almost always off. The multiplier and reason are shown to you if it applies.

Vehicle types and pricing

Vehicle	Capacity	Relative price
Standard saloon / hatchback	Up to 4 passengers, modest luggage	Base price
Estate / large saloon	Up to 4, more luggage	Same as base
6-seater MPV	Up to 6, family + cases	+~30\u201340%
8-seater minibus	Up to 8, group + cases	+~60\u201380%
Wheelchair accessible	Wheelchair user + companions	Same per-mile as standard. Journey time is ~30% longer (careful loading), and that extra time is part of the quote.

Extras

• Child / baby seat \u2014 small flat fee per seat. Tick the option in the booking form.
• Pet-friendly vehicle \u2014 no extra charge, but please tick the option so a suitable driver is assigned.
• Stop-offs \u2014 add up to three additional stops on the way to your destination. Distance and time through the stops is included in the price.
• Wait-and-return \u2014 the driver waits at your destination and brings you back. The waiting time is charged at a clear per-hour rate, shown before you confirm.
• Scheduled returns \u2014 book your outbound and your return in one go, often slightly cheaper than two separate bookings.

Premium times

For non-airport journeys, pricing is the same at any time of day. There is no automatic night-time or weekend surcharge built in. The system only adds a multiplier in genuinely exceptional periods (e.g. New Year\u2019s Eve from late evening to the early hours), and only when this is shown clearly in the quote.

Are these council tariffs?

No \u2014 bookings through this site are private hire bookings handled by XTaxi24 Ltd, an operator licensed by Mid Sussex District Council. Private hire fares are set by the operator and shown to you as an upfront quote before you accept. They are not the same as the meter tariff used by hackney carriages flagged in the street.

Why upfront pricing is better

• You know the full cost before you commit.
• Traffic during the ride doesn\u2019t change your fare.
• The driver can\u2019t take a longer route to inflate the meter \u2014 the price is locked.
• You can compare with other quotes side by side.