Yes — but only a black cab. A London black cab, properly a hackney carriage, is licensed to ply for hire, which means it can be hailed in the street, picked up at a rank, or booked. If the yellow light on the roof is lit it is available, and the driver is obliged to take you if the journey is within the permitted distance.
A minicab cannot be flagged down, and that is not a matter of custom but of licensing. A private hire vehicle may only be dispatched by a licensed operator, so the journey has to be booked before the car arrives. A minicab that stops for someone waving at it in the street is working illegally, uninsured for that journey, and best avoided. In London, Transport for London licenses both trades — black cabs and private hire vehicles alike.
The short version: hail a black cab, pre-book a minicab. Everything below is the detail, and if the journey you actually need starts in Surrey or south-west London rather than central London, we are a licensed private hire operator and you can book a car with us.
You have many options for getting around Taxi in London, including the Underground (Tube), buses, bikes, and foot, but this may also need to be clarified about travelling from one city area to another. Black London cabs are an excellent method to get around the city. However, they operate somewhat differently than cabs in other places. Hence, it’s good to understand what to expect before hailing one. Traditional Black cabs, also known as taxis, and private hire cars, often minicabs, are the two types of taxis accessible in London.
At first glance, black taxis and minicabs may not appear to have many significant distinctions other than colour and fares. There is, however, more to know than that.
You can hire metered black taxis or cabs on the street. It employs a hackney carriage, which comes in several versions as the TX4 or TX2. Vehicles specifically designed to serve as hired cabs are known as hackney carriages or hacks. Even though black taxis are frequently seen, they can also be seen in other colours, like red, grey, and white. It is the only taxi available for street calls, and taxi stand rides without a reservation. However, you must only travel in authorised Black Cabs, typically identified by the driver wearing a green or yellow badge and having a green or yellow licence affixed to the front and back windscreens of the car. A green badge and licence show that the driver can operate a vehicle anywhere in London. In contrast, a yellow badge and licence show that the motorist is only authorised to drive in nearby suburban regions.
Minicabs are vehicles for private hire that can be reserved in advance. Along with hiring minicabs, you can also use private hire services for limos, executive cars, and chauffeurs. Unlike Black Taxis, private hire cars do not have metres and have an anticipated fare that must be disclosed before the trip. Private hire vehicles cannot be hailed on the street; reservations must be made beforehand. Before you go out on your journey, confirm that the car has a TfL licence. All private hire reservations should contain all the necessary details, including the driver’s name, licence number, car registration mark and photo. Look for the Private rental Driver ID and a yellow licence disc fitted to the front and back windscreens to determine whether a private rental is properly licenced. The TfL licence number, expiration date, vehicle identification number, and passenger capacity should all be visible on the yellow disc. Although some vehicles may have a “Pre-booked only” label, this does not necessarily mean the vehicle is authorised.
You can reserve a taxi or private rental vehicle in advance over the phone or online. The front of Black Taxis is marked with a yellow “taxi” or “for hire” sign. The cab is empty and available for rent if the sign is lighted. You can also go to a taxi station and ride the first cab lined up to take a black taxi. See the table below for the taxi ranks offered in each London borough. Pre-ordering can also be done by calling any authorised taxi company’s Black Cab London number. Remember that not all private hire businesses are available across London, and there can be restrictions on where they can operate. Finally, to get a private trip to any location in London, you can download cab applications like Uber, FREE NOW, and Get. With taxi applications, you must register for an account, set up a payment method, and sign up. After that, choose your present location and where you want to be dropped off, then wait for the taxi to arrive.
It’s a popular myth that you may only use cash to pay for London black cabs. Here is all the payment information you need for a hassle-free trip, saving you from dashing to the closest ATM. First, you should be aware that all black cabs accept contactless payments and credit and debit cards. Every black taxi has a card reader. Although most cabs have it installed in the passenger cabin, the gadget is either fixed or portable. Additionally, there is no extra on the cab rate for consumers using credit or debit cards.
It’s akin to hailing a cab in New York City to do so in London. To call a cab, all you have to do is cross the street and raise your arm. Also, the yellow TAXI sign on the vehicle will indicate it is ready for hiring. This is important to note because London taxis are not always black. Customers can also pick up black taxis from designated taxi ranks in well-known locations, such as numerous mainline trains, the Tube, and bus stations.
After hailing the cab, you can walk up to the front window to speak with the driver and specify your destination before entering. You could also get in the rear and tell the driver where you live. However, London taxi drivers are familiar with the city’s streets. They won’t require additional information unless you want to recommend a particularly precise route.
Once they have arrived at their destination, passengers must pay the full fare that is shown on the metre. Suppose you’re travelling outside of Greater London. In that case, you and the driver can agree on a fare in advance and negotiate it. Of course, you may tell him to turn on the metre and pay whatever the fare is when you get off the bus.
London black taxi fares are metered, with a £3.20 minimum. There are extra fees if you use a black cab from Heathrow, make a phone reservation, and travel on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve.
Wheelchair-accessible and free of charge, all black cabs in London may accommodate support dogs. Ramps, a swivel seat, an intermediate step, seat sight patches, large coloured grab handles, an intercom, and an induction loop are just a few of the extra amenities that most taxis provide passengers.
Private rental includes many options, from limo services with a chauffeur to neighbourhood taxi services. Reputable, registered minicab firms may provide a less expensive option to a black cab. The prices are generally fair, although there is no metre for them. At the time of booking, enquire about the trip’s cost. Minicabs and private hire vehicles must be reserved in person, over the phone, or online. Most hotels have a list of trustworthy, authorised taxi drivers. Minicab offices are also common on high streets.
Unreserved taxis are against the law. Minicab drivers may approach you looking for customers or offering a service. Still, you should avoid them because they lack proper documentation and insurance. Customers may only flag down and hail black cabs on the street. If a taxi accepts your fare without a prior reservation, even those waiting outside bars and clubs violate the law. Numerous clubs have authorised taxi drivers on site who can accept your reservation. To find out if a minicab service is offered, ask the personnel. Your trip will be driven by a licenced driver in a licenced vehicle if you make your reservation through a registered minicab service. It also implies that a record of your route, driver, and car will be retained.
Neither is better in the abstract; they suit different journeys.
A black cab wins on spontaneity. You want a car now, in central London, without opening anything — stick your arm out. The driver has passed the Knowledge, the fare runs on a meter, and every licensed London black cab is required to be wheelchair accessible. You pay for that convenience: a metered fare rises with traffic, which in central London is considerable.
A minicab wins on planning and on price certainty. The journey is booked ahead, the price is agreed before the car moves rather than counted up as you sit in it, and the vehicle can be matched to the job — an estate for luggage, an eight-seater for a group, a seat fitted for a child. For an airport run, a 5am start, a hospital appointment or anything with a fixed arrival time, pre-booking is simply the better instrument.
That is why a firm like ours is a private hire operator rather than a cab rank. Our work is the planned journey: see airport transfers, school runs and executive cars.
A black cab, yes. A hackney carriage is licensed to ply for hire, so it can be hailed in the street or taken from a rank — if the roof light is lit it is available. A minicab cannot be flagged down: a private hire vehicle may only be dispatched by a licensed operator, so it has to be booked before it arrives.
For that journey, yes. A private hire vehicle stopping for someone hailing it has not been dispatched by its operator, which means the booking does not exist and the hire and reward insurance behind the journey does not apply. It is one of the few genuinely important things to know about using minicabs.
Licensing and how you get one. A black cab can be hailed, runs on a meter, and its driver has passed the Knowledge; in London every licensed black cab must also be wheelchair accessible. A minicab must be pre-booked through a licensed operator and the price is normally agreed in advance rather than metered. In London, Transport for London licenses both.
It depends on the journey rather than the trade. A metered black cab fare climbs with traffic, so a short hop in light traffic can be very competitive while a long run in congestion is expensive. A pre-booked minicab price is agreed before you travel, which removes the uncertainty — that predictability is usually what people are buying.
You can call for one now, but it still has to be a booking: you phone the operator, they dispatch a car. That is a pre-booking even if the car arrives in ten minutes. What you cannot do is take a minicab that is simply passing.
Yes — every licensed London black cab is required to be. Minicab fleets vary, so if you need a wheelchair accessible vehicle from a private hire operator you have to ask for one when you book. Ours are covered on the wheelchair accessible taxis page.
Every licensed London black cab is required to accept card payment, and most minicab operators take card, cash or an account. With a pre-booked minicab you can usually settle when booking, which is what most people do for an airport run.
No. We are a licensed private hire operator working from twelve offices across Surrey and south-west London, so our work is pre-booked journeys — including into and out of central London — rather than hailed ones. If you are standing in central London wanting a car immediately, a black cab is the right answer.
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