The terms “Taxi” is used to donate any vehicle which is used to carry passengers for hire or reward from the pick up point to their required destination.  Originally, it referred only to a Hackney Carriage which can pick up passengers in the street, either at a rank or by “flag down”.  There is, however, another type of vehicle which can operate only by prior booking, either by telephone or by calling at a booking office.  This is a Private Hire Vehicle which may not pick up in the street.

Hackney Carriages have a roof sign which says “Taxi” and a blue plate on the back, Private Hire Vehicles have no roof sign and door signs which denote the status of the car and the telephone number of the office.  The plate on the back is red.  In both cases, the plates will show the details of the vehicle, its seating capacity and the date of expiry of the Licence and the Driver will wear a badge, again blue and red for the different type of vehicle, showing a photograph and a Licence Number.

Whether a vehicle is acceptable will depend on its compliance with the Vehicle Specification.

This states:

• All vehicles presented for licensing shall have been originally constructed with seats for no more than 8 passengers and one driver.  Each passenger seat shall be fixed in position and face the front of the vehicle except tip down seats which may face the rear.  In all cases, a minimum seat width of 16 inches (408 millimetres) shall be allowed for each passenger.  There shall be a capacity of at least 4 seated passengers.  There shall be a minimum engine capacity of 1600 cubic centimetres.  This shall include vehicles badged by the manufacturers as 1.6 models.  All vehicles shall be fitted with a permanent roof which is watertight.  Sun roofs will be permitted if fitted as new by the vehicle manufacturer.  All vehicles shall be constructed for right hand drive.
• All vehicles shall comply in all respects with the requirements of the Motor Vehicle (Type Approval) Regulations 1980, Motor Vehicle (Type Approval) Regulations (Great Britain) 1984 and the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986.  In addition, all vehicles must comply in all respects with the British and European Vehicle Regulations and be type approved to the requirements of the M1 category of European Whole Type Approval 70/156/EEC as amended.  Vehicles converted from vans which have a type approval other than M1 will not be acceptable unless they are presented with approved M1 certification for the resultant vehicle.  If a vehicle has been registered with DVLA and issued with an appropriate registration index number, no change, structural alteration or rearrangement of detail shall be carried out to the vehicle unless such change shall have been subsequently granted M1 Whole Type Approval.
• All vehicles presented for licensing shall have at least three doors, in addition to the driver’s door, to permit the entry and exit of passengers.  Any rear hatch or estate lifting door shall not be included within this number.  No vehicle will be acceptable where any passenger is required to move any seat or climb over any luggage in order to enter or exit the vehicle.  A minimum of 0.4 cubic metres of luggage space shall be provided and be physically separated from the passenger seating.  Any vehicle offering a luggage carrying capacity of between 0.40 and 0.43 cubic metres will be acceptable only after due consideration of the application by the Assistant Director (Environmental Health and Consumer Protection), such application to include aspects of the vehicle which are in excess of the other normal requirements and other exceptional features to balance those matters which do not comply.  Vehicles offering a luggage carrying capacity of above 0.43 cubic metres will be acceptable without such special consideration.
• A vehicle being presented for initial licensing must be first registered with DVLA not more than 4 years prior to the date of application.  Once accepted, it may remain licensed until a date not more than 8 years from the date of first registration provided its condition remains acceptable.
• The vehicle will be inspected by the Council prior to acceptance and there must be an MOT Certificate in force for the vehicle if it is more than 1 year old, that Certificate having been issued less than 90 days previously.

Horse-drawn Hackney Carriages

There are five Hackney Carriage Licences that are issued for Horse-drawn Hackney Carriages, which at present only operate from Livermead, though Cockington Village and in to the ground of Cockington Court.

Application/renewal and transfer forms for applying for a Hackney Carriage or Private Hire Vehicle’s Licence are available for download (see Do It Online)

For further information, please contact the Licensing Section.