It's a scenario we've all found ourselves in - it comes to the end of a good night or a long day in the city and it's time to book the taxi home.
But as the city opens its doors again for nightlife, shopping and tourism, it's become a real ordeal.
So how does the city meet the demand and what impact is the lack of taxis having?
Read more: Belfast bar worker forced to walk home in early hours as cab firms struggle to meet demand
We take a look at how it pans out for those directly and indirectly affected.
The customer
Louise Toal told Belfast Live she had been forced to walk home alone late at night last month after being unable to get a taxi, even before the rush at closing hours.
"My husband is really good that way he would stay on Whatsapp or on a call with me, but we've kids so he can't come and get me," she said.
"But if you see a man on the other side of the road you're on high alert - that's maybe not fair, most men are fine, but it's just a fact that you have to be on alert."
Louise said the answer could lie in greater investment in public transport to bring it in line with other regions.
"They did the night bus for like a week over Christmas time, which was fine," she said.
"Every other city you go to, there's public transport available to at least 12 at night."
She said it had become commonplace to end nights early in the hope of getting a taxi before the closing hour rush.
"I know it's not the fault of the local firms either, I've spoken to them and I know a lot of drivers retired or went elsewhere during the lockdowns," she said.
"Nine times out of 10, it's impossible, there are just none there - even now when my friends and I are organising to go out somewhere, it puts some of them off completely.
"For tourists coming here even, it's just so embarrassing, it's a nightmare."
The driver
A driver for Value Cabs spoke to Belfast Live, but didn't wish to give his name.
He said between the pandemic slowing business, the rise in the cost of living and the availability of steadier work elsewhere, taxiing had become a much less attractive option.
"If you even look at the fuel prices there, that's adding about £50-60 a week on for some drivers," he said.
"I work a few school runs and I would do Saturdays in the city centre, but it's definitely a lot harder than it used to be.
"I went and did a bit of work during the pandemic with Amazon there and you're turning up, vehicle there for you, no costs going out and you're getting paid £100 per day."
He said that there had been some talk of a fare increase around March time but it did not progress anywhere before the election.
He also said the lack of taxi drivers around for work meant people were less likely to go into city centre for fear of waiting hours after a night out, meaning the cycle would continue without intervention.
"The numbers are definitely down in city centre, it's nowhere near what it was," he said.
"I like the driving, I like the banter on a Saturday night and that, but you could be out from 11am to 4am and then that's your Sunday gone too.
"Then the cost of running the car between depot fees, insurance, fuel and paying off the car for some people, it's £600-700 a week they need to be lifting before they can even earn, so it's just not sustainable."
The taxi driver said he would be considering turning to the sub-contracted work as a delivery driver for other companies long term if a solution couldn't be found.
He called for government help with fuel costs and for firms to start taking less of a depot fee for the services provided as concrete ways of alleviating the problem.
The company
Stephen Anton from Fonacab says their numbers have been hit hard by drivers leaving and not returning during the pandemic.
He told Belfast Live that from a position of having around 1,440 drivers available before Covid-19, they're down to roughly 900 now.
"We've spoken to about 40 different operators across Northern Ireland as part of our lobbying work and we've found that the majority of firms are down about 30% of drivers," he said.
He also pointed out that weekend options might have been reduced because with fewer drivers, the drivers that were left were able to make more money during the week and were less inclined to work the weekend.
Stephen said he understood drivers' frustrations at the likes of depot rent costs, but that the company had to pay for IT support, call centre workers, app support, notification fees and sponsorship/charitable work which all added up.
He said that there was a need for more engagement around removing obstacles like the theory and practical test for taxi drivers which was introduced around eight years ago.
"Since those came in in 2014, the industry has lost on average 1,000 drivers per year," he added.
"Our point on that is the test is too difficult, too cumbersome and too expensive, and that means we're not getting enough drivers into the industry to replace the ones we've lost."
Read more: Taxi driver says flooding market with more drivers is not the answer to solve crisis
Read more: Belfast taxi drivers on losing hundreds of colleagues during the pandemic
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