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.
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.
Application forms and other associated documents
- Driver medical assessment March 2013 (PDF, 312KB)
- New driver application March 2013 (PDF, 112KB)
- Driver renewal application March 2013 (PDF, 124KB)
- Hackney carriage vehicle application form March 2013 (PDF, 108KB)
- Operator application form March 2013 (PDF, 116KB)
- Private hire vehicle application form March 2013 (PDF, 108KB)
