Private hire vs black cab in London: what is the difference?

Black taxis and private hire vehicles both move passengers around London, but they operate under different rules. The biggest practical difference is that a private hire vehicle must be pre-booked through a licensed private hire operator, while a London taxi can also be hailed in the street or hired at a taxi rank.

Black taxis

London taxis — often called black cabs — can be hailed in the street, hired from a taxi rank or pre-booked. TfL regulates taxi fares, which are calculated using an approved taximeter.

London taxis are purpose-built around accessibility requirements and TfL says all licensed London taxis are wheelchair accessible.

Private hire vehicles

Private hire vehicles, often referred to as minicabs, work differently. They cannot ply for hire or use taxi ranks. They must be pre-booked through a TfL-licensed private hire operator.

Private hire fares are not set by TfL in the same way as taxi-meter tariffs. This is one reason prices can differ significantly between operators and why comparing offers can be useful.

How to identify a licensed private hire vehicle

TfL says licensed private hire vehicles normally display licence discs in the front and rear windscreens. The discs show information including the TfL licence number, licence expiry date, registration number and permitted passenger capacity.

Private hire drivers also have TfL-issued identification. Customers should use the booking confirmation from their operator to check that the arriving driver and vehicle match the details supplied.

Which should you choose?

There is no universal answer. A black cab can be extremely convenient when you need immediate street-hail transport or are at a taxi rank. Pre-booked private hire may be attractive when you want to know or compare prices in advance, need a particular vehicle class or want to book through a particular operator.

Where Cab Exchange fits

Cab Exchange focuses on the private hire side of the market. It lets customers submit a journey enquiry and compare prices offered by participating licensed operators before choosing which operator they want to proceed with.

Official sources and further reading

• Transport for London — Taxi & private hire
• TfL — Guide to taxis and private hire
• TfL — Private hire operator licensing
• TfL — Passengers and accessibility

Guides are general information, not legal advice. Licensing rules and operator requirements can change; check TfL for the current position.