Taxis (hackney carriages) and private hire vehicles

How to tell the difference between a taxi, also known as a hackney carriage, and a private hire vehicle.

We licence both taxis (hackney carriages) and private hire vehicles.

Private hire vehicles

A private hire vehicle:

  • is usually a saloon type vehicle but may also, for example, be a minibus with up to 8 passenger seats
  • has a yellow plate on the back stating that it is a private hire vehicle
  • must be pre-booked through a licensed operator
  • can only be driven by a driver licensed by us for private hire

Hackney carriages (taxis)

A hackney carriage:

  • is commonly known as a ‘taxi’
  • is either a purpose built 'London style' cabs (often called 'black cabs', but sometimes a different colour) or saloon cars with a sign on the roof stating 'Taxi Woking Borough Council'
  • has a white plate on the rear of the vehicle stating that it is a hackney carriage
  • can operate from taxi ranks within the borough or can be 'flagged down' in the street
  • can only be driven by a driver licensed by us for hackney carriage

Find out more about taxi passenger fares and charges.