Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council

Travel in Safety

Stockton on Tees Borough Council licenses two types of vehicles:

• Hackney Carriage Vehicles
• Private Hire Vehicles

You may refer to them both as Taxis but legally they are not the same thing.

What is the difference between a Taxi and a Private Hire Vehicle?

Hackney Carriage Vehicles (Taxis)

• All Hackney Carriage vehicles MUST be black.
• They have yellow signs displayed on the front door panels.
• They have a large yellow licence plate on the rear of the vehicle and also a yellow licence plate on the front of the vehicle near the number plate. Both plates display details of the vehicle, licence number, number of passengers to be carried and the expiry date of the licence.
• They must display a Taxi sign on the roof.
• They can be hailed in the street.
• They operate mostly from town centre ranks.
• They do not need to be pre-booked.
• They will have a fare meter and table of fares inside the vehicle. Meters must be used for journeys within the borough, but you may negotiate the fare if the journey ends outside the borough.
• The meter should always be used. Negotiated fares would not exceed the amount that appears on the meter.
• They will also have an internal comment card displayed inside the vehicle. This will indicate the vehicle licence number and expiry date.

Private Hire Vehicles

• Private Hire Vehicles are saloon vehicles, any colour other than black.
• They can not be legally referred to as a Taxi.
• They have a large white licence plate on the rear of the vehicle and also a white licence plate on the front of the vehicle near the number plate. Both plates display details of the vehicle, licence number, number of passengers to be carried and the expiry date of the licence.
• They have white door signs displayed on the front door panels, with the words "Advanced bookings only"
• Private Hire Vehicles can not be hailed in the street.
  They must be pre-booked by telephone, or in person by visiting the operator's office.
• They will also have an internal comment card displayed inside the vehicle. This will indicate the vehicle licence number and expiry date.

WARNING

If you get into a Private Hire Vehicle without pre-booking it (ie if you stop it or find it in the street) you may not be covered by insurance. Private Hir Drivers call this 'pirating' and they know they are breaking the law. If you are involved in an accident you may experience difficulty in claiming any damages for injuries sustained.

Private Hire Vehicles

• Private Hire Vehicles are saloon vehicles, any colour other than black.
• They can not be legally referred to as a Taxi.
• They have a large white licence plate on the rear of the vehicle and also a white licence plate on the front of the vehicle near the number plate. Both plates display details of the vehicle, licence number, number of passengers to be carried and the expiry date of the licence.
• They have white door signs displayed on the front door panels, with the words "Advanced bookings only"
• Private Hire Vehicles can not be hailed in the street.
  They must be pre-booked by telephone, or in person by visiting the operator's office.
• They will also have an internal comment card displayed inside the vehicle. This will indicate the vehicle licence number and expiry date.

WARNING

If you get into a Private Hire Vehicle without pre-booking it (ie if you stop it or find it in the street) you may not be covered by insurance. Private Hir Drivers call this 'pirating' and they know they are breaking the law. If you are involved in an accident you may experience difficulty in claiming any damages for injuries sustained.