A Private Hire Vehicle

In my last blog (a little while ago) I wrote about a taxi or Hackney Carriage which could be hailed in the street and hired on a meter. The alternative is a private hire vehicle which cannot be hailed. This service is booked in advance through a licensed operator who keeps a list of all journeys (known as a run sheet). They have set prices or quote using their own system and they charge for dead mileage.

The vehicle is licenced under its local council. It is identified in line with council conditions too, which could be a plate to the front and rear (with windows stickers to the sides) or the operators name plastered all over the vehicle. In contrast, some councils stipulate a small plate on just the rear of the vehicle or even a single and discreet disk, mounted in the front screen.

The diversity comes from the way the law was formed and introduced. Known as the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, every council across the UK has its own interpretation of the conditions which govern the industry (depending on their location and environment). These conditions can vary from city to city and between rural locations too.

Crucially, the law was not carefully constructed by central government over a period of time. Instead it was lifted (in a rush) directly from the Plymouth City Council Act 1975 which was specific to a borough of England - and not necessarily the best fit for everywhere else. Over time, with advances in communication technology and the evolution of the Internet the law has become outdated.

To add to the diversity and confusion, a private hire vehicle can have up to eight passenger seats and it can often be any make and model the driver or operator prefers (subject to some licencing conditions of course). This means some vehicles are bought for their rock bottom prices and some, are bought for their level of quality and ability to perform.

A Simple Taxi

Have you ever walked out of a train station and jumped in a black cab only to see the meter racking up an ever bigger bill? Have you then wondered what the difference is between a mini-cab firm and a cab hired from a rank? The laws which control them both are complex and diverse but I will attempt to shed some light.

A black cab in the UK (or taxi) is also known as a Hackney Carriage and is licensed under the Town and Police Clauses Act of 1884. The law dates back to the days before motor cars were invented and relates to Hackney, not a borough of London but a breed of horse which could be hired with a carriage to transport you to a destination. The original law even stated the carriage must carry a bale of hay for the horse to eat.

These days, A Hackney usually has a light on the top; can be hailed in the street; it is often purpose built; has wheelchair access and charges on a meter which starts from the point of hire. Meter rates are set by the local government (or council) relevant to each area of the UK. Hackney carriage vehicles can park on a rank and while the driver and vehicle need to be licenced, there is no need for an operator.

If you are in a city, a train station or an airport then a hackney carriage (black cab) is a great option for a short trip. You can hire the vehicle on the spot for convenience and the driver usually has very good local knowledge which saves time reaching your destination. Typically a black cab’s meter rate will be higher than a private hire’s price list.

It is worth asking what the rate is in advance and even comparing the rate with different drivers on a rank. Some will quote a destination for a fixed cost and while it is legal to charge less than a meter may read, it is illegal to charge more. If you are travelling a longer distance or need a pick-up for a set time then consider a private hire vehicle – a subject for my next blog!

Busy Fools Airport Transfer Service

It has taken a while for DrivenByQ to define a niche in the market place but today we know exactly where it is and why! Although we take on all sorts of chauffeur work, 90% of our turnover is generated by airport transfers and 95% of those airport transfers are for corporate account holders in the Wrexham and Deeside area.

We like business passengers because they are well organised, they travel light and they don’t like hanging around at airports. In addition there is no issue with charging VAT and everything can be compiled on one monthly invoice so it keeps things simple. What is more, usually one or two people in each organisation make bookings, so we establish a good working relationship with them.

In contrast, budget providers in the airport transfer market, target holiday makers. With the lure of cash payments they often forget the basic principle of calculating a break-even point and they aggressively compete on price. They become busy, they get addicted to cash and very soon they burn out, completely under the illusion they are making money.

Generating enough volume for lots of journeys to link-up at airports takes time. After seven years of trading, things are working well at DrivenByQ. Our drivers are profitable and our rates of pay are attractive. For some reason though, we’ve recently noticed less availability from some drivers. So the question has to be, why would any driver with an executive vehicle prefer budget holiday makers over low-maintenance, reasonably paying business passengers?