Barrow Borough Council would like to bring to the attention of
the public the differences between "
Taxis"
and "
Private Hire Vehicles". The following
guidelines are set out for you to make the best use of the services
in the Borough of Barrow-in-Furness. The Council employs an
Enforcement Officer to make sure these rules are followed.
"Taxis":
All the taxis (or Hackney Carriages as they are otherwise
known) within the Borough of Barrow-in-Furness are saloons,
hatchbacks, estates, people carriers, FX4's (London type) or 8
seater or less minibuses.
Yellow licence plates are affixed to the front and rear
nearside of the vehicle on or below the bumper and contain the
following information:
- Borough of Barrow-in-Furness.
- The number of passengers its licensed to carry.
- Hackney Carriage.
- The vehicle licence number.
- Registration Number.
- Vehicle Make, Model and Colour.
- Expiry Date of Licence.
All Hackney Carriages must have a roof sign displaying the word
TAXI and/or FOR HIRE. When for hire the roof sign will be
illuminated and when not hired the roof sign will not be
illuminated.
Hackney Carriages may be found at one of the Boroughs taxi
stands. They are located at various points close to the town
centre. For further information on taxi stands contact this
Department.
Within the vehicle there must be displayed a tariff card. It
shows the rate of fare which is the rate per mile as set by the
Council. The driver cannot charge any more than the set rate per
mile.
Also within a taxi is a meter, the meter must be on during the
whole of the hiring, irrespective of whether the vehicle has been
pre-booked or not. Drivers are not allowed to charge more than is
stated on the meter, but may charge less if they wish to do so. If
the driver does not comply then he/she is committing an
offence.
An administration / booking fee may be charged by the operator
if the taxi is booked through a private hire company.
A hackney carriage, if available for hire, may be flagged down
in the street.
All drivers must wear a badge displaying their taxi drivers
licence number name and photograph.
Private Hire Vehicles are saloons, hatchback, estates, people
carriers or up to 8 seater minibus. Some people think of these as
taxis, but they are not. They are strictly for Private Hire
Only and can only be hired over the telephone
(pre-booked).
Under no circumstances are they available for immediate hire,
i.e. like a taxi. The Council does not set the fares and they may
charge what they consider a reasonable rate. These vehicles must
also display a licence plate on the front and rear nearside of the
car on or below the bumpers. The plate colour is red
with black writing and has the following information:
- Borough of Barrow-in-Furness
- Private Hire.
- Vehicle licence number.
- Number of passengers allowed to be carried.
- Vehicle Make, Model and Colour.
- Registration Number.
- Expiry date of Licence.
All drivers must wear a badge that shows their private hire
drivers licence number, name and photograph.
Private hire vehicles may display a roof sign but
cannot use words such as Taxi,
Cab or Hire in their
advertising.
Sometimes you may see these vehicles parked on street corners
or outside takeaways, public houses and nightclubs.
Do Not Be Tempted To Hire That Vehicle,
unless you have pre-booked the vehicle. You may find that you are
Not Covered By Any Insurance Should There Be An
Accident.
General
Drivers of both hackney carriage and private hire vehicles
must behave in a civil and orderly manner.
Drivers of both hackney carriage and private hire vehicles
must afford reasonable assistance in loading and unloading
luggage.