Taxi & private-hire glossary
Definitions of the trade and licensing terms used across this site. Licensing specifics vary by authority — England and Wales differ from London (Transport for London) and from Scotland and Northern Ireland — so treat these as general explanations, not legal advice.
Vehicle types and licensing
Section titled “Vehicle types and licensing”Hackney carriage (taxi) — a vehicle licensed to ply for hire: it can be hailed in the street or picked up from a rank, and typically uses a taximeter. Licensed by the local authority (in London, by Transport for London).
Private hire vehicle (PHV) — a vehicle that must be pre-booked through a licensed operator. A PHV cannot ply for hire or wait on ranks. The driver, the vehicle, and the operator are each licensed separately.
Operator (private hire operator) — the licensed business that accepts bookings and dispatches private hire vehicles. In law the operator is responsible for the booking.
Operator / driver / vehicle licence — the three private-hire licences: one for the business taking bookings, one for the driver, and one for the vehicle.
How work is obtained
Section titled “How work is obtained”Plying for hire — offering or standing a vehicle for immediate hire, such as being hailed or waiting at a rank. Permitted for hackney carriages; not permitted for private hire vehicles.
Rank (taxi rank) — a designated place where hackney carriages wait for passengers, usually worked in order of arrival.
Pre-booking — a journey arranged in advance rather than picked up on the spot. Required for private hire work.
Account / contract work — journeys billed to a customer account (for example a business or school contract) rather than paid for per trip.
Pricing
Section titled “Pricing”Taximeter (meter) — a device that calculates a fare from time and distance against a set tariff. Used by hackney carriages.
Tariff — the set of rules that determine a fare (for example by time of day or distance band).
Quote / fixed fare — a price agreed before the journey starts, common for pre-booked private hire work.
Surge / dynamic pricing — a fare multiplier applied at times of high demand. See Why no surge pricing.
Operational terms
Section titled “Operational terms”Job / fare — trade shorthand for a single booking or trip.
Allocation / dispatch — deciding which driver gets a given job, and sending it to them.
Dead mileage — distance a vehicle travels without a fare-paying passenger.