Hackney Carriage Laws

Hackney Carriage Laws apply to hackney carriages (which is also variously called a cabs, black cabs, hack or London taxis).
‘Hackney Carrage’ is an old fashioned term that goes right back to 1654 when the UK parliament approved “An Ordinance for the Regulation of Hackney-Coachmen in London and the places adjacent”.The legislation was intended to address the “many Inconveniences [that] do daily arise by reason of the late increase and great irregularity of Hackney Coaches and Hackney Coachmen in London, Westminster and the places thereabouts”
Hackney Carriage Laws
In the UK, the contemporary name of hackney carriage has come to mean a taxicab licensed by the Public Carriage Office, local authority (non-metropolitan district councils, unitary authorities) or the Department of the Environment depending on region of the country. Although they are now produced in a wide range of of colours, occasionally in advertising brand liveries, motorised hackney cabs in the UK, are usually known as black cabs.

Hackney carriage design

For many years, four-door saloon cars have been popularly used as hackney carriages. As disability regulations have grown in number, with more councils offering free licensing for disabled-friendly vehicles, a good number of operators are now focussing on wheelchair-adapted taxis such as the The London Taxi Company (LTI). Amongst the types of specialist taxis used are the Peugeot E7, Fiat, Volkswagen, Metrocab and Mercedes-Benz. Many of these specialist taxis accommodate six or seven passengers.
An interesting fact on black cabs is that they have a turning circle of just 25 ft (8 m). One reason for this is the available room outside the famous Savoy Hotel: The tiny roundabout outside the Savoy means that hackney carriages need their small turning circle in order to get round it. As history often dictates, that requirement became part of hackney carriage laws, and is now the legally required turning circle for all London black cabs. Another quirk that has translated across to the design of hackney carriages is the custom of a passengers sitting on the right, behind the driver. Again the layout of Savoy Court meant that hotel visitors would wish to board and alight from the driver’s side.
The specific design standards for London taxis were all detailed in the Conditions of Fitness, which are now published by Transport for London (TfL). These rules set out the conditions under which a taxi may operate and include:

  • regulation of the the taximeter,
  • the maximum age of the taxi (not more than 15 years),
  • advertisements and the turning circle of 8.535 m (28 ft)

The black cab has been voted by Londoners as their favourite transport design icon.

Hackney carriage laws and driver requirements

In London, hackney carriage laws state that drivers need to pass the challenging, famous test called The Knowledge to prove that they have an detailed knowledge of the layout of London streets, important buildings and landmarks and so on. By learning ‘The Knowledge’ a driver is allowed to become a member of the Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers. Within this select group there are two types of badge,

  • a yellow one for the suburban areas and
  • a green one for all of London.

The green badge is considered far more difficult to acquire. Londoners are well known for their use of slang and it should come as no surprise that drivers who own their cabs (as opposed to renting from a garage) are known as “mushers”. Those who have just passed the “knowledge” are known as “butter boys”. At the time of writing, there are around 21,000 black cabs in London, all licensed by the Public Carriage Office.
Elsewhere in the UK, individual councils have their own hackney carriage law and local regulations. Some councils simply require a driver to pass CRB checks and have a fairly clean driving licence. Others have stricter requirements and use their own local versions of London’s ‘The Knowledge’ test.
For Taxi drivers, and particularly in London, a taxi licence takes a huge effort to qualify for. Decisions of TfL (Transport for London) and the PCO (Public Carriage Office) to refuse to renew licenses whether it be on the basis of criminal convictions, failure to notify or issues of medical fitness can mean the loss of livelihood for taxi drivers. Due to the complexities of hackney carriage laws, it is vital that drivers seek professional help in such circumstances.

We are here to help!

Taxi Driver Defence Barristers are an expert team  who specialise in taxi licence refusal and revocation appeals. Our taxi barristers have had significant success in challenging the decisions of TfL and the PCO. Our barristers dont underestimate importance of guiding clients through the complexities of hackney carriage laws. We make sure our clients understand at each stage what is happening and why.
Please contact us to discuss your taxi license refusal or revocation.