Here at Juj Taxis we have both Private Hire and Hackney Carriage vehicles on our fleet and there are some subtle differences between them.
What is a Hackney Carriage:
Hackney Carriages can be hired from designated ranks or hailed (flagged down) in the street. They can also be pre-booked through a licensed operator. These can only carry 4 passengers.
What to look for: (plates and stickers predominantly yellow in colour)
- Outside the vehicle
- A numbered current licence plate detailing the vehicle registration, vehicle type, colour and displaying a North Lincolnshire logo affixed to the rear of the vehicle.
- The same licence number on the side plates, displayed on the front driver and front passenger doors.
- A ‘top sign’ stating the words Taxi or For Hire and a taxi licence number (usually an illuminated sign mounted across the top of the roof).
- Inside the vehicle
- A white tariff card should be displayed.
- An internal plate with the council logo and the licence number and registration should be displayed.
- A taxi meter should be present.
- The driver should have and ID badge with his photo, which should be worn or displayed by the driver.
The Taxi Meter
The meter must be switched on at the start of the journey. The majority of meters are now calendar controlled. This means that the time of day will be displayed on the meter. The meter has been calibrated and checked so the tariff charged will not exceed the tariffs displayed in the hackney carriage.
What is a Private Hire Vehicle:
Private hire vehicles must be pre booked through a licensed operator (this means you cannot approach a private hire vehicle at the roadside or flag one down). At the point of booking you should agree a price. Some vehicles have a meter and the meter charges should be displayed. These charges may be similar to the charges of a hackney carriage. The vehicles are usually standard cars (saloons or hatchbacks for example) but some are minibuses.
What to look for: (plates and stickers predominantly green in colour)
- Outside the vehicle:
- A numbered current licence plate detailing the vehicle registration, vehicle type, colour and displaying a North Lincolnshire logo.
- The same licence number on the side plates, displayed on the front driver and front passenger doors.
- Inside the vehicle:
- An internal plate with the council logo and the licence number and registration should be displayed.
- The driver should have an ID badge with his photo, which should be worn or displayed by the driver.
Information provided by North Lincolnshire Council Taxi Safe Innitiative.
https://www.traditionrolex.com/33
