Taxis (hackney carriages) and private hire vehicles
How to tell the difference between a taxi, also known as a hackney carriage, and a private hire vehicle.
We licence both taxis (hackney carriages) and private hire vehicles.
Private hire vehicles
A private hire vehicle:
- is usually a saloon type vehicle but may also, for example, be a minibus with up to 8 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
Hackney carriages (taxis)
A hackney carriage:
- is commonly known as a ‘taxi’
- is either a 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
Find out more about taxi passenger fares and charges.