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Taxis and private hire vehicles
We licence and control the Portsmouth taxi fleet. There are currently 234 licensed taxis working in the city providing a 24-hour service to residents and visitors alike.The fleet is varied with saloons, hatchbacks, estates, MPVs and purpose built wheelchair accessible cabs. We have approximately 84 wheelchair accessible vehicles - some work through established companies and some work off the taxi ranks as "independents".
A taxi can be flagged down or hired immediately from a taxi rank. There are currently 39 taxi ranks accommodating 255 vehicles around the city. We are currently reviewing the provision of taxi ranks in the city.
Fares
We control all cab fares, which are set after consultation with the taxi trade and after public notice has been given. Meters are sealed by us to ensure public protection. The current table of fares can be found at the bottom of this page. Any complaint about overcharging will be investigated.New vehicle requirements
In August 2001 we required replacement taxis to be silver in colour and to display a new corporate livery for the roof sign, door and bonnet graphics. From November 2001 all taxis were permitted to use the bus lanes in the city. We also gave permission for the Peugeot based Euro 7 taxi and other similar wheelchair accessible MPV style vehicles to be licensed. You will eventually see all of the licensed taxis becoming silver in colour over the next few years. This means that no new private hire car will be licensed if silver in colour.Private Hire cars
Portsmouth has probably the largest fleet of licensed private hire cars on the south coast with over 750 vehicles licensed by us. These vehicles, which come in different styles and makes, all work for established operators. The operators provide a variety of services including contract/account work, 6-8 seater bookings, airport journeys and specialist 'one off' vehicles such as American style stretch limousines. We have also licensed a converted fire engine for private hire purposes.Safety and satisfaction
We care about the safety of the travelling public and expect the taxi and private hire trade(s) to provide a first class service to you every time. All vehicles are mechanically inspected and all drivers are vetted before a badge is given. In the event of a complaint try to get the driver's badge number, vehicle plate number and note the time/day of the incident. Contact us at the address shown at the bottom of this page.The difference between taxis and private hire
Finally, remember the essential differences between the licensed taxi and private hire car.
A taxi:
- has a TAXI logo on its doors, bonnet and compulsory roof sign
- has fares controlled by us and the use of sealed meters is compulsory
- can be flagged, hailed or booked
- is insured for public hire
- can use bus lanes
- can wait on appointed ranks
A private hire vehicle:
- has no roof sign but normally shows the company logo on its front doors only
- has fares set by operators and meters are not compulsory
- can only do a pre-booking accepted by the office first
- is insured for private hire
- cannot use bus lanes
- is not allowed to form ranks
Contact the Licensing Office
You can contact us by writing to us at:
The Licensing Manager
City Solicitor
Licensing Section
Civic Offices
Portsmouth
PO1 2AL
You can call us on 023 9283 4830 or fax us on 023 9283 4811.
email: licensing@portsmouthcc.gov.uk
Associated documents:
How taxi fares are calculated (0.03 MB)
