Hackney Carriage and Private Hire
Hackney Carriage vehicle
A hackney carriage is a public transport vehicle with no more
than 8 passenger seats, which is licensed to ply for hire. This
means that it may stand at ranks or be hailed in the street by
members of the public.
Private Hire Vehicle
A private hire vehicle is one 'provided with a driver for hire
and reward which must be pre-booked from a licensed operator' and
can have up to 8 passenger seats. This means that they can only be
hired by telephone bookings or by going to the operator’s office in
person. Fares are set by the company’s meter or quoted in
advance.
Anyone who wishes to operate one or more private hire vehicles will
need:
- an operator's licence
- a vehicle licence
- a joint driver’s licence.
Vehicles used solely for weddings and funerals are
exempt.
It is illegal to try and hire a private hire vehicle on the street
and passengers wouldn't be insured for their journey.
They can’t have any wording which includes the word taxi, cab or
the like but they can have the name and phone number of the firm
printed on the vehicle.
They must carry signs on the front doors of the vehicle signs
saying Private Hire Advanced Bookings
Only.
Follow these links for information and application forms:
Pages in this section
- Restrictions in the number of Licensed Hackney Carriage Vehicles
- Information about restrictions on the number of Hackney Carriage Licences in Richmondshire
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