Introduction
If you want to use your vehicle for the carriage of passengers for hire or reward you will need to licence your vehicle as either a Hackney Carriage or a Private Hire Vehicle.
A vehicle licensed as a hackney carriage or private hire vehicle continues to be a licensed vehicle at all times and must, therefore, always be driven by a driver licensed by the same authority.
In Lichfield District vehicles must have no more than eight passenger seats. The minimum seat width for passengers is 400 mm
We strongly advise you to contact us before you purchase a vehicle you would like to be licensed. We can make sure the vehicle is in line with our policy and is something we would be able to licence.
Full details of the specifications and conditions for vehicles are included in appendix 6 and 7 of our taxi policy.
Hackney Carriages (Taxis)
Only hackney carriage vehicles can ply or stand for hire. This means a hackney carriage vehicle can be hailed by passengers on the roadside, it can stand on a rank to await the approach of passengers and it can be pre-booked by telephone.
Unlike private hire vehicles, a meter must be engaged during a journey in a hackney carriage vehicle. Once set, the regulated fare is the maximum amount which can be charged. A lower amount can be charged, but not a higher amount. If there is no agreement, the metered rate applies.
In Lichfield District, a Hackney Carriage must:
- be white,
- must be fitted with a meter
- must be fitted with a roof sign.
Private Hire Vehicles
Private Hire Vehicles are licensed for pre-booked work only - they can not ply for hire or use taxi ranks.
Private hire vehicles must be booked through a private hire operator licensed by the same authority.
In Lichfield District, private hire vehicles must not be white.