Suffolk Coastal District Council has a statutory responsibility
to licence the hackney carriage (taxi) and private hire trade
operating within its area.
Vehicles used as hackney carriages and for private hire must be
licensed. This also applies to drivers and, in the case of a
private hire business, the operator.
The Council can only licence vehicles with up to 8 passenger
seats. Anything above this is dealt with by
the Vehicle
and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) (new window). They can be
contacted on 0300 123 9000 or by email at
enquiries@vosa.gov.uk
Hackney carriage (taxi) and private hire vehicles
The main difference between a hackney carriage
(taxi) vehicle and a private hire vehicle is that hackney
carriages are permitted to use designated ranks and can also be
hailed down in the street. They are usually identified with a TAXI
sign on the roof and the Council approves the maximum tariff for
fares and other charges.
Private hire vehicles cannot be hailed down in the street and
must be pre-booked via the office or base of a licensed ‘private
hire operator'. Private hire vehicles must not have roof signs but
are permitted to have stickers and signs. There is no set fare for
a private hire vehicle journey, so the fare price should be
confirmed at the time of booking.
Hackney carriages (taxis) in the Suffolk Coastal district have
green licence plates fixed to the rear of the
vehicle showing the Council’s logo, the licence number, vehicle
type and registration, and the licence expiry date. There is a
smaller version of the licence plate inside the vehicle. The driver
must wear a green identity badge showing the
driver’s licence number, an ID photo, and licence expiry date.
Private hire vehicles in the Suffolk Coastal district have
blue licence plates fixed to the rear of the
vehicle showing the Council’s logo, the licence number, vehicle
type and registration, and the licence expiry date. There is a
smaller version of the licence plate inside the vehicle and no roof
sign. Private hire vehicles do not usually have a meter but one is
permitted. The driver must wear a blue identity
badge showing the driver’s licence number, an ID photo,
and licence expiry date.
Applying for a hackney carriage (taxi) or private hire
driver's licence
If you would like to become a licensed driver there are several
checks which you will have to pass, with separate
fees payable for each of the checks. All new
applicants must consent to and satisfy:
- An enhanced level Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) check.
- A DVLA check.
- A medical check by your own GP (unless you hold a PCV or HGV
licence).
- A driving skills test and theory test.
- For hackney carriage drivers only, a local geographical
knowledge test.
There are a number of conditions attached to driver's licences
and they can be found in the guidance notes for new applicants
which you can download or print off below along with the
application form and information about the Council's policy on
relevant convictions:
The CRB form and medical form must be sent or collected directly
from the Council offices. You can request these forms by emailing
licensing@suffolkcoastal.gov.uk
with your postal address or by calling us on 01394
444362.
Applying for a hackney carriage or private hire vehicle
licence
If you would like to licence a vehicle as either a hackney
carriage or private hire vehicle, the vehicle must meet the
requirements of the standard MOT test as well as additional
measures laid down by the Council and set out in the Manual of
Inspection Standards below. There are a number of conditions
attached to vehicle licences and these can be found in the guidance
notes for new applicants:
Applying for a private hire operator's licence
A private hire vehicle can only be dispatched to a customer by a
private hire operator. This is a person who holds an operator’s
licence under Section 55 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous
Provisions) Act 1976 Part II.
There are a number of conditions to which an operator must
adhere in order to retain his/her licence and these can be found in
the guidance notes for new applicants:
Licence fees
Details of current driver, vehicle and operator licence fees are
available below:
Contact us
If you would like to find out more about becoming a driver
and/or an operator please call the Licensing Team on 01394
444362 or email
licensing@suffolkcoastal.gov.uk.
Complaints about a licenced driver or operator, or about
unlicensed activities, can be made under the
licensing authority’s complaints procedure.
Back to main Licensing
page