Taxi Licensing
North Hertfordshire District Council (NHDC) is responsible for licensing all hackney carriages, private hire vehicles and operators in the district, together with their drivers.
The Council checks that all drivers are medically fit, have a thorough knowledge of North Hertfordshire and are fit and proper persons to hold a licence. We also check all licensed vehicles on a regular basis to ensure that they are mechanically sound and safe.
All licensed vehicles have a licence plate which must be fixed to the rear of the vehicle and drivers are issued with a photographic ID card which must be worn at all times whilst driving a licensed vehicle.
There are several differences in the way that hackney carriages and private hire vehicles operate:
Hackney Carriages
These are most commonly referred to as 'taxis'. Drivers usually wait at taxi ranks to be hired, but can also be waved down in the street. Taxis must always have a meter displaying the fare as it accrues and drivers must not charge more than the fare showing on the meter. Charges for journeys within the North Hertfordshire Area are regulated by the Council, fares for journeys that cross the boundary into another local authority area should be negotiated before the journey starts.
Private Hire Vehicles
These are also referred to as ‘mini cabs’. All journeys must be pre-booked through the private hire operator. Private hire cars are not allowed to wait on taxi ranks or to wait outside premises hoping for a booking; this is illegal and is referred to as 'plying for hire'. The local authority has no control over the amount that the mini cab driver charges, although they are obliged to advise the customer of the fare in advance of the journey.
The licensing provisions for private hire vehicles are much the same as for hackney carriages, although operators must also be licensed in addition to the driver and the vehicle.
The licensing of hackney carriages and private hire vehicles is in accordance with the Councils Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy. Further information about the licensing policy can be found on the 'Taxi Licensing Policy' page.
Further information is provided in the 'Applying for a Licence' section about how to apply for driver, vehicle and operator licences. Information is also provided about using a taxi. Details include the location of taxi ranks, details of wheelchair accessible vehicles as well as general passenger and taxi driver safety.
A taxi forum is held every month providing drivers and NHDC with an opportunity to discuss current issues. Information about the forum as well as details of agendas and minutes can be found on the 'Taxi Forum' page.
