Private Hire In London

What is a private hire vehicle? 

 We all used at least once a private hire vehicle. They are affordable, most of them reliable and definitely comfortable. They are different than taxis and often more convenient. 

 A PHV was defined in the original 1998 Act as a “vehicle constructed or adapted to seat fewer than nine passengers which are made available with a driver to the public for hire for the purpose of carrying passengers”. Also, the driver of a PHV needs to be licensed by the Transport for London. Any company collaborating with these drivers and hiring out vehicles will hold a license too. 

 Some of the special requirements for the PHV owners are regarding: 

• the insurance covering the vehicle, which has to be hire or reward insurance  
• the signage- advertising or special signs must not be displayed in a PHV unless approved by TfL 
• the English language abilities  
• the National Insurance Number  
• the booking confirmation, which has to be provided to the customer before the journey starts  
• customer service always available by phone( during the trip) 

Transport for London regulates the private hire vehicles, the private hire drivers and the companies hiring them out. This means for you as a customer,  better safety and reliability.  

 PHVs are different than taxis, also known as black cabs or hackney carriages.  

A journey with a PHV must be prebooked, they cannot pick people from the road, while a taxi can be easily hailed on the road or in the taxi ranks. 

Now you know the regulation, stay safe!

 A taxi will always have a meter, while with a minicab booked in advance you will get quoted the price before your journey starts. 

Now, that you know what a PHV is, stay safe!