Taxi licensing

Cheshire West and Chester Council currently licences two different categories of vehicle for transportation. They are:

• Hackney carriage
• Private hire 

But what is the difference? Below you will find a brief summary of the two categories, if you would like to know more you can use the link below to either of the categories.

Please speak to a member of the Licensing Team if you require any further information.

Taxi and private hire licensing newsletter

Please use the link below to read the latest edition.

Taxi and Private Hire Licensing Newsletter August 2010 (PDF, 150KB)

Minutes of the latest meeting

Please use the link below to read the minutes of the latest meeting.

Notes from the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Forum:

14 May 2010 at Civic Way in Ellesmere Port

• Hackney Carriage Session (PDF, 36KB)
• Private Hire Session (PDF, 58KB) 
• Joint Session (PDF, 58KB)

28 January 2010 at Wyvern House in Winsford

The meeting was divided into three sections; Hackney, Private Hire and Joint at the request of the trade and so the notes are separated in a like manner.

• Hackney Carriage Session (PDF, 26KB)
• Private Hire Session (PDF, 31KB)
• Joint Session (PDF, 33KB)

Hackney carriage or taxi licences

Visit the Hackney Carriages section

Hackney Carriages were named for the first examples of this type of service, black carriages drawn by horses operating in London from as early as 1625. The word Taxi comes from the Taximeter invented by Wilhelm Brune in 1891; the device used to calculate the distance travelled and the fare for the journey.

Today, the primary difference between Hackney Carriages and Private Hire Vehicles is that Hackney Carriages are able to pick up passengers who hail them from any location within their Licensing District without a prior booking being made. Hackney Carriages can also queue up at designated ranks and collect passengers, or they can be pre-booked for a journey.

For more information on Hackney Carriage Licences, including Applications Forms, Guidance and Fees information, please use the link above.

Private hire licences

Visit the Private Hire Licences section

Private Hire Licensing was introduced in 1976 as part of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act of that year. It was introduced to regulate the growing number of drivers and vehicles performing Hire and Reward functions without any vetting or controls.

Private Hire Drivers can only transport members of the public who have booked the journey through a Licensed Private Hire Operator, the journey must be conducted in a licensed (And therefore specially tested) Private Hire Vehicle and driven by a Licensed Private Hire Driver who has undergone the appropriate vetting procedures.

For more information on Private Hire Licensing, including Application Forms, Guidance and Fees information, please use the link above.