Private Hire Taxi Companies in London

. The Hackney Carriages are taxis. Also known as "London Black Cabs", they can be greeted from the road or from the balcony at Heathrow. Only Black Cabs in London can use the term "taxi", so look for the bright orange/yellow taxi lights on the front of the taxi to greet one.

Taxis in London are all licenced by Transport for London. Mini -cabs', limousine rental, chauffeur rental and chauffeur transfer service are referred to as private rental. Any nonhackney licenced automotive and driving service, as well as stretch limousines, must be licenced in the UK. And in London they are licenced by Transport for London. All private auto and driving service provided on the road or at the UK airports are unlawful - use the License Auditor under this item to find out if your favorite business has a license.

Today there are London cabs in a variety of colors (although most are still black). A number of London taxi cabs are also available; all can carry a 5 passenger capacity, but two can carry 6 people. To learn more about the cars, there are a number of clips on videosharing pages that you can find using the keyword "london taxis".

Riders on the beloved touristic trails can be some of the most competent and interesting individuals you will ever meet. Don't delay asking them about London, as most are only too keen to speak to you about the area. During their studies they acquire an enormous amount of know-how, but they don't anticipate getting to know all 70,000 roads and every "point" of interest to the hundred thousand in Greater London.

In contrast to many liberalised taxi industry economies here in London, a taxi industry is actually a true professional option! Be standing on every road in downtown London and within 30 seconds (ok, that's a little far-fetched!) you'll see someone passing on a roller with a giant card on his handlebar as he drives around trying to get ready for his test of cognition.

It can take years of training until the prospective taxi rider has "the knowledge" to become a certificated taxi rider. Tip for your driver: When you want to tip and wonder about an avarage amount, then a good number is 10%, but most Londoners simply round the amount up to the next lb.

Clearly, if you get an extraordinary rider, such as one who can't do enough for you, you might want to give more. Paying in advance is standard (driver change), but there are more and more who are able to pay an extra amount by accepting the main card and direct debiting used.

And the way to say that a taxi is free is to look at its taxi lights above the windshield. When it is switched on (it will glow yellow), you can welcome these cabs from the side of the road. Be very clear when calling a taxi, because during the days there is a great deal of pedestrian and vehicular activity that the driver has to watch out for, and at nights the lower lights make it harder to see a lifted one.

Try also to be in a place that is secure not only for you to enter, but also for the rider to stop. Another little tip is not to try to call a taxi at a busy stop - if a person raises a finger at a busy stop, the person who is driving does not know if it is for him or a busy one.

Riders must agree to any rental up to a distance of 12 mile ( 20 mile if departing from Heathrow Airport) or up to one hours if the finish is in Greater London unless they have a valid reason to do so. Acceptance is obligatory only if the rider has halted for your volley, but it is not obligatory for him to stop.

It is your right to notify the public transport authority if they decline to take you after they have called. "Well, why do cabs drive with the lights off but no people onboard? " Well, there are many possible explanations why that might be..... - this is their private car & they are not in the shifts etc. ....

There have also been several London taxi routes from which you can take a taxi for many years, but today these technologies have enhanced the diversity of ways you can do this. Below are some useful figures from Transport for London in the link at the bottom of this item for pre-ordering a London Black Taxi from the largest operators.

Sometimes the pre-booking of a Black Cab via a business has an additional charge. Mini cabs are ordinary vehicles that have been approved by the public transport authority so that they can be made available for rent. You can only book them through a private landlord and not on the road.

Google searching will produce about 12 million sites for London based companies - make sure they show their licence number on their site, that they have a phone number (from 020 for London) and that you have an email just in case something goes bad. Anyone working as a private individual in London should have a full driving licence for the public transport office and a fully licenced car - easy to recognise by the round number plates in the front and back sills.

Failure to wear the vehicle tag does not entitle the rider to wear you. Approximately 40,000 private hire cars are available in London and 22,000 cabs; but only Black Cabs are permitted to collect passengers from the street, mini cabs must be pre-booked by telephone or in the offices.

Keep in mind that hotel can provide transportation for you, but this can be to your own expense and not yours. If you order one by telephone to make sure you get to the company you ordered, ask the chauffeur for the location and make sure he knows your name.

When you want to work with a mini cab firm that actually knows how to get you home, it's best to get a number from a local and call and organise a rental vehicle. You' ve got the power of public promotion on your side when there's a biggie.

Airports transfers & connections. Private Hire transfers must be prebooked, and some airports allow prepayment by cash in advance. Don't let this bother you too much, as most major online shopping systems assure you, and they will examine any complaint you might have about a business being funded by your name. Everybody who approaches you inside the airports for a journey is illegally, not insured (automatically when they approach you!) and will probably calculate a different ticket price when you arrive at your destination...ask at the arrival information desk for a listing of your nearest Mini -Cab companies if you haven't prebooked.

Make an advance booking by performing an on-line query, London Airport Taxi or similar. Simply make sure they are licenced and have a British postal code where you can send a letter if you have a complaint. The London Black Taxis are ranked at all of Heathrow' s terminal and London City Airport in the Docklands, but not at Gatwick, Stansted or Luton (none of them in London!).

You can of course take you to EVERY of these things, in fact you can take a London taxi to anywhere in the globe if your budgets are sufficient. As soon as a chauffeur has pulled over, he is also required to take you anywhere in London. The best thing to do is to get in before you tell the rider where you want to go.

National Express Bus is probably the simplest way to transport yourself and a little baggage between London and the airport. Of course you can rent a vehicle to travel to London yourself, although this would be an imprudent decision for most people. In London, a vehicle is more of an obstacle than a help to a visitor.

Ensure that you have a budgeted amount for your petrol and congestion charge for traveling in Central London. It can be a little thrilling to park in London, dual park is unlawful (you can be expected to be towed) and you should always make sure you are paying your parking-fees. The majority of rental companies need a current driver's licence and a pass for identification as well as an imprinted banknote.

Where to find a cheap way to rent a car in London there are many places. As well as the good tips mentioned above, please note that all Heathrow Rent a Car companies are just outside the gate, for example on a good morning a 10-minute drive in one of the rented bus services.

No matter which terminals you are arriving at, just obey the coach shields and get in! Because Heathrow is one of the most frequented locations for hire cars in Europe, you should make your reservation in advance and you will get lower prices and a greater choice of fleets if you make your reservation in ahead, especially for bigger cars such as mini -buses, passenger transporters or transporters.

You can also pick up your hire at Heathrow and take it with you on a one-way trip anywhere in the UK. Reservations like these back and forth, Heathrow International can also be made on-line via the Avis, Hertz, RentalCarsUK, Green Motion and many more on-line reservation systems.

You can also use them via your own app to rent a vehicle at Heathrow Airport while driving. Transportation Resources: London transportation - Taxi & Minicab (private hire) licence examiner.