A taxi rank is probably the safest place to get a taxi from.
I used to run a railway station. The taxi drivers on the rank each had to pay the rail company around £4000 per year for the right to use the rank, so they were always on the lookout for anyone who might try to sneak on without paying the fee (even though the 'intruders' might also be properly licensed by the local council).
I've also carried out a survey, on behalf of a local council, where I had to monitor the use of taxi ranks over an extended period. I was surprised to learn that, despite having to pay a lot of money for their licences, each taxi driver was only permitted to use the ranks in their own town. (They weren't allowed to use the ranks in neighbouring towns, even though they were in the same council area). So, once again, all of the taxi drivers were constantly checking to make sure that no unauthorised drivers (including other cabbies who might have been licensed by the same council) used 'their' ranks.
Chris