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Study, work or travel in the UK. British
culture and life.
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Using a taxi cab in the UK
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INTRODUCTION
Taking a taxi can be the fastest and most convenient way of travelling from
a station to your accommodation, or for taking you home safely at night. If
you share a cab with other people, it is not always more expensive than other
types of public transport.
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GETTING A TAXI
Licensed taxi
A taxi which is ready to be hired lights up the sign on top
A London 'black cab' |
A taxi is a car which has been designed for the purpose of carrying paying
passengers. If the local government regulates the service it is known as a licensed
taxi. This type of taxi may be safer and more reliable than a minicab (see
below). A licensed taxi can be found at a taxi rank or can be called while on
the road by raising your hand towards the driver (this is known as hailing
a taxi). The taxi will not stop if it is busy (the light on top of the taxi will
be off), or if there is no safe place to stop. Taxis cannot stop on roads with
red lines painted on the edge. Most taxis are licensed to carry a maximum of 4
or 5 people.
In London a licensed taxi is known as a black cab (it is not always painted
black). These taxis should be safe, and the drivers know London roads well. Two
of the largest licensed cab operating companies are Computer Cab (http://www.computercab.co.uk)
and Radio Taxis (http://www.radiotaxis.co.uk).
You can find out if there is a licensed taxi rank at a train or underground station
at: http://www.traintaxi.co.uk.
Minicab
A minicab (a type of private hire vehicle) is not always regulated.
It may appear like an ordinary unmarked car. Most minicab companies are safe and
reliable, but you should be careful. A minicab must be booked in advance. You
can order a minicab by telephone, or from outside the company's office. A minicab
driver is not allowed to pick up customers directly from the road: if you do travel
in a minicab that has not been booked you will not be covered by the vehicle's
insurance, and you may have committed an offence by helping the driver to break
the law. If the vehicle doesn't have a meter inside you should make sure that
the fare has been agreed before starting the journey.
You can find a list of local companies from Yellow Pages, which is available online
at http://www.yell.com (under
the category "taxis and private hire vehicles"), or from UpMyStreet
at http://www.upmystreet.com
(enter your postcode or town).
You can find a taxi/minicab using UpMyStreet: http://www.upmystreet.com.
Select Find My Nearest … , enter a postcode or town name, select Find
by category and choose Travel & tourism then Taxis &
minicabs. The nearest ones will be listed first.
Alternatively, you can telephone the National Cabline: 0800 123 444, or
you can use the directory of taxis and minicab numbers in the UK at: http://www.cabnumbers.com
(this CabNumbers service is also accessible using SMS or WAP on a mobile phone).
It is better to book in advance if you want to take a minicab at busy times (for
example, after 11pm (when many pubs start closing), or on an evening in December
when there are many Christmas parties) or at unusual times (for example, early
in the morning), or if you want to travel a long distance (for example, to an
airport).
A licensing scheme for minicabs has been introduced in London. For your
safety, you are recommended to use licensed companies (the minicab should have
a yellow licensing disc on its windscreen). You can check if a minicab company
is licensed using this search tool: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/pco/findataxi/privaHire.asp.
If you text home to 60835 you will receive the telephone numbers
of two licensed minicab companies near to where you are. For the cost and other
details about this text message service, see: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/pco/findataxi/TextService.asp.
If someone comes up to you and asks if you want a cab, do not accept. These drivers
may not have insurance, so you may not be covered if there is an accident. Occasionally
people are robbed or attacked by people who pretend to be cab drivers, so always
be careful, especially if you are a woman travelling by yourself.
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USING A TAXI
Starting your journey
Tell the taxi driver exactly where you want to go. To avoid making a mistake,
you may want to write down the address and give this to the driver (some places
may sound similar, but are far apart). Make sure this is clear, perhaps by telling
the driver the name of another place that is near where you want to go. For
example, you might say, "Please take me to the Royal Opera House on Floral
Street, near Covent Garden tube station".
According to UK law (and for your own protection) you should always wear a seatbelt.
Paying
Taxi meter in a London 'black cab' |
For a licensed cab, the cost is shown on a meter. If two numbers are shown
(as in the picture), these are added together to calculate the total charge.
A guide to fares is shown on the Public Carriage Office website: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/pco/taxi_fares.shtml.
The cost is more expensive after 10pm and during weekends. The taxi driver will
tell you the total charge at the end of the journey. It is usual to add about
10% as a tip.
For example, if the total cost is 5 pounds 50 the taxi driver might say "That
will be 5 pounds 50, please". You might reply by giving the driver a 10
pound note and saying "Could I have 4 pounds change, please?" (it
is more polite to give a tip indirectly in this way). It is usual to pay by
cash. Drivers may not carry much change, so you should try to give the exact
money if you can, and avoid using large notes (50 pound notes may not be accepted).
If it is late and you feel unsafe, you may ask the taxi driver to wait until
you have gone inside before driving off.
In a minicab there is no meter. To avoid any possible arguments, you should
agree the cost of the journey before travelling (normally the company has a
standard charge for each destination).
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ACCESS FOR DISABLED
Using a ramp for a
'Fairway' black cab |
All black cabs in London can take wheelchairs and should provide a ramp. Not all
drivers are used to dealing with disabled customers: it is possible that you may
come across someone who refuses to take you or who says that the ramp is not available
for some reason.
For further information, see: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/pco/accessibility.shtml
As well as black cabs, many other taxi and private hire companies also have vehicles
which can take wheelchairs: contact the company directly to get more details.
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FURTHER INFORMATION
The Knowledge of London website includes a page of information about
the history of London's taxis: http://knowledgeoflondon.com/taxis.html
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LINKS
Home page: Home
London transport: Travel/Transport/London
Diary of a wheelchair user's trip to London: Ideas/Diary/Akemi
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© UK Student Life 2002-2007
* Search this website (www.ukstudentlife.com) or the web:
