Private Hire / Hackney Carriage Vehicles

Private Hire Vehicles

Private hire vehicles are affiliated to a Private Hire Operator and journeys can only be pre-booked by telephoning the base – these vehicles cannot pick up off the ranks or off the street.. Private Hire Vehicles can charge any fare, but you are advised to obtain a price at the time of booking.

All Private Hire Vehicles have 2 licence plates issued by the Council, one on the front bumper and one on the rear bumper. These show the licence number, number of passengers the vehicle is licensed to carry, colour make and model and the date the licence on the vehicle expires. Private Hire vehicles will only be licensed until they are 7 years old.

Hackney Carriage Vehicles

Hackney Carriages can wait on ranks, pick up fares off the street, or they can work dual-purposely and take bookings through a base. There are a number of non-wheelchair accessible Hackney Carriages (these are licensed until they are 7 years old). These vehicles display a roof sign with their licence number on and have a long rear plate.

Hackney Carriages charge on the meter and from a Council approved tariff, which is displayed prominently in the vehicle. A price can be agreed in advance with the customer, but the driver must still switch the meter on.

Wheelchair accessible Hackney Carriages are issued with a square plate and can be licensed until they are 10 years old.

Application forms and details of how to apply for a Private Hire / Hackney Carriage Vehicle Licence can be obtained from the Licensing Team.