All drivers, vehicles and operators involved in hire and reward work must be licensed. It is an offence to trade without one. There are two types of taxis – hackney carriages and private hire vehicles.
A private hire vehicle is:
- Usually a saloon type vehicle but may also, for example, be a minibus with up to eight passenger seats.
- Has a yellow plate on the back stating that it is a private hire vehicle.
- Must be pre-booked through a licensed operator.
- Can only be driven by a driver licensed by us for private hire.
A hackney carriage is:
- Commonly known as a ‘taxi’.
- Either purpose built 'London style' cabs (often called 'black cabs', but sometimes a different colour) or saloon cars with a sign on the roof stating 'Taxi Woking Borough Council'.
- Has a white plate on the rear of the vehicle stating that it is a hackney carriage.
- Can operate from taxi ranks within the borough or can be 'flagged down' in the street.
- Can only be driven by a driver licensed by us for hackney carriage.
When working a driver must wear their badge where it can easily be seen by members of the public.
It is very important for safety reasons that members of the public do not get into any vehicle that they think is a private hire unless it has the appropriate sign or plate, and also the driver is wearing the correct driver's badge.