What are Hackney Carriages and Private Hire vehicles?

The Borough Council is responsible for licensing all hire vehicles that operate within the district, which are provided with a driver and operate with less than nine passenger seats.

The Borough Council does not limit the number of licences of drivers, vehicles or Operators issued - all cases will be treated on their merits and in accordance with the licensing policy  

There are two types of vehicle licences: 

• Hackney Carriage vehicles
• Private Hire vehicles - which are only available by prior booking arrangement

Although the description 'taxi' should only be applied to a hackney carriage any hire vehicle is usually known as a 'taxi' by the public. 

Private Hire vehicles may only undertake journeys in response to advance bookings. The Borough Council is also responsible for granting private hire Operators' licences for the premises at which these bookings are made

The Borough Council is responsible for the licensing of the drivers of both classes of vehicle.

As provided for in Section 75(2) of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 the Licensing requirements do not apply:

• where a vehicle is used for bringing passengers into the District where the contract for hire was made outside the District, providing the vehicle is not made available for hire within the District
• to a vehicle used in connection with funerals or wholly or mainly by a person who is a funeral director, for the purpose of funerals
• when the vehicle is being used in connection with a wedding ceremony 

The difference between the nature of the trades undertaken by hackney carriage and private hire vehicles may not be readily apparent, but the following brief description should clarify the situation: 

• A hackney carriage - may ply for hire from an appointed hackney carriage stand (hereafter referred to as a rank) in the District or may be hailed in the street. The fares for such journeys are controlled under the rates or fares fixed by the Borough Council and the vehicle must be fitted with a taximeter calibrated to those fares.
• A private hire vehicle - may only undertake journeys in response to advance bookings. The charges for such journeys are not subject to Borough Council control and should be agreed with the client before the start of the journey. 

The Borough Council has adopted the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, Part II, Section 45; The Town Police Clauses Act 1847, Section 68 and the Public Health Act 1875, Section 171. 

In addition to the statutory requirements, the Borough Council may attach to the grant of a licence such conditions as the Borough Council considers reasonably necessary.

Any requirements of legislation that affects the operations being carried out under the terms of any licence granted should be regarded as if they are conditions of that licence. Wherever there appears in this Handbook a summary of any statutory provisions, you are advised that such summary may not be exhaustive. 

Details held on drivers, vehicles or Operators are held for the purposes of issuing licences. The processing of this information is necessary for the Council to undertake a public task as defined under Article 6(1)(e) of the Act, i.e. the processing is necessary for the Council to perform a task in the public interest or for its official functions, and the task or function has a clear basis in law, in this case the Town and Police Clauses Act and Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act. For the full privacy notice please visit https://www.great-yarmouth.gov.uk/privacy/licensing.

In case of a complaint against the service provision, the Borough Council has a formal complaint procedure.  See the Borough Council website or phone or visit the Borough Council offices for details of this procedure.