A woman desperate to rendezvous with her husband on a Friday night was charged $200 for travel just eight kilometres by an unscrupulous taxi driver.

Marnie Reid, an assistant producer for Fairfax Radio 3AW, had been to a work Christmas party and was attempting to get to Northcote from Federation Square, where her husband was waiting for her at another party.

After half an hour of trying to hail a cab, a maxi-cab driver stopped and told her the fare would be $200 to get her to her destination.

A check of fare estimator website Australia Taxi Auto Fare says a night fare from Federation Square to Northcote should cost about $23.