How to apply for a Hackney carriage or private hire vehicle licence
Hackney carriage vehicles
Hackney carriages are public transport vehicles which are licensed to 'ply for hire'.
They can:
- Carry passengers for hire or reward
- Be hailed by prospective passengers in the street
- Park on a rank to await the approach of passengers
- Be pre-booked by telephone or an app
A hackney carriage vehicle licensed by this council can only be driven by a driver who holds a hackney carriage driver's licence issued by this council.
Hackney carriage vehicles can be found at the ranks around Hinckley town centre. These vehicles display a roof light with the word TAXI on the front. They have a green and white plate fixed to the rear and a smaller version fixed to the windscreen which carry details of the licence expiry date, licence number, vehicle registration and the number of passengers it is licensed to carry.
New vehicle plates
When a new vehicle is presented for licensing for the first time it must be under six years of age (from the date of its first registration).
New hackney carriage vehicle licence plates will be granted to vehicles that are either wheelchair accessible (WAV), all-electric vehicle (ZEV) or ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEV) or a vehicle that meets the Euro 6 petrol or Euro 6 diesel emission standard.
The reason for this decision is as follows:
- To promote the Equality Act 2010 as there is a shortage of wheelchair accessible vehicles in the current taxi fleet
- The council declared a climate emergency and the local taxi trade must embrace new technology to help the borough become carbon neutral by 2030
Vehicle insurance
The council will not license or re-license any vehicle that has been written off by an insurance company, regardless of the category of write-off.
Dual plating
We do not allow the dual plating of any of our licensed vehicles with other local authorities.
More information on dual plating
If you have any questions about your application, please contact Licensing: Licensing contact form
Last updated: 14/06/2023 15:44
