Taxicabs By Country - United Kingdom

United Kingdom

There is a mature system of taxicabs throughout the United Kingdom. All taxicabs are regulated with various degrees of sophistication. However, London's black cabs, also known as hackney carriages, are particularly notable on account of the specially constructed vehicles and the extensive training course (The Knowledge) required for fully licensed drivers.

In Great Britain taxicabs can be defined thus -

• Hackney carriages ('Black cabs') can be hailed in the street or hired from a taxicab rank. The term 'Hackney Carriage' can also be applied to standard passenger vehicles authorised by other Local Authorities to stop for passengers on a hail in the district. The fare is calculated on a taximeter that charges by both time and distance.

Additionally there are two further types of hire vehicles which act, sometimes illegally, as taxis; they are known as private hire vehicles -

• Private hire is a term applied to a taxi that must be pre-booked, usually by telephone but also in some cases by fax, email or via in-car radio. Although not available on a hail, properly licensed private hire vehicles can offer a safe alternative to a 'Hackney Carriage'. The advantage of a private hire booking is that the journey is offered at a fixed price based only on mileage and not the variable time element of a taximeter found in a 'Hackney Carriage' unless the private hire vehicle is fitted with a taximeter in which case this meter must be used to calculate the fare. In many areas private hire and hackney vehicles have different coloured taxi licence plates; and also it is common that hackney carriages must be a certain colour (usually black, hence the term "black cab"), while private hire taxis may be any colour but that prescribed for hackneys.

• Chauffeur cars are a sub-set of private hire and historically have been mostly unlicensed. However, regulations now require them to be licensed. In Scotland most chauffeur/executive car operators along with nearly all stretched limousines are not still not licensed & neither are their drivers. Generally a higher value of car such as a Mercedes or BMW is operated where the passenger pays a premium but in return receives a higher level of comfort and courtesy from the driver who may at times wear a uniform.

In Great Britain local authorities have the responsibility of regulating taxi & private hire vehicles together with their drivers. Licensed vehicles will normally have an ID plate at the rear & sometimes also at the front holding information such as the licence number, expiry date & how many passengers it can carry.

Luton is reported to have the highest number of taxicabs per head of population in the United Kingdom.