Taxi licences

Vale of White Horse District Council
Abbey House, Abbey Close,
Abingdon, OX14 3JE
Email: comments@whitehorsedc.gov.uk
Telephone: 01235 520202

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Taxi licences

Taxi licences

Two kinds of taxis operate in the Vale - hackney carriages and private hire vehicles.

The main differerence between the two kinds of taxis are that private hire vehicles have to be pre-booked by telephone or at a booking office and are not allowed to use ranks or pick people up off the street. Hackney carriages can be hailed or flagged down in the street and can be found waiting for fares at the official taxi ranks in the Vale. The Council sets the tariffs and fees for hackney carriages but not for private hire vehicles.

Licences are required for drivers and operators. This is to ensure the safety of the public when using them. The Licensing Unit carries out regular spot checks on cars and drivers in the Vale to ensure they have the correct licences. If you have a concern about a taxi journey you have experienced please contact the Licensing Unit so this can be investigated.

For information about the different types of licences, including details of how to apply for them, see the following pages:

For details about taxi ranks and charges in the Vale, please see these pages:

Full details about the Vale's licensing policy relating to taxis can be found in the Licensing Policy for Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicles, which was approved by the Council in July 2007. This policy can be downloaded from the right of this page.

If you would like more advice or information about a taxi licensing issue please contact the Licensing Unit using the contact details on the right.