Information for taxi passengers

For many people, taxis and private hire vehicles are a trusted and essential part of daily life. If you regularly use taxis and private hire cars here is some useful information:

There are two different types of vehicle - taxis (sometimes called Hackney Carriages) and private hire vehicles. In Darlington, taxis licensed by us, are red. They can wait at ranks, be hailed in the street, or be pre booked. They are regulated by the council and use a taxi meter. Customers cannot be charged more than what is on the meter.

Private hire vehicles are operated by a private company and can be any colour. They must be pre-booked and set their own fare before the journey. Private hire vehicles licenced in other areas are permitted to operate in Darlington.

All taxi and private hire vehicle drivers, including those from other areas, require a licence.

There may be slight variations around the country, but generally, drivers must have the following to be licensed:

A full UK (or EU) driving licence for at least 12 months
A right to work certificate
Proof of registration to pay tax
Proof of identity
Group 2 medical
Enhanced DBS (and required to sign up to an update service which automatically informs the licensing authority of any changes that could impact their license)
Certificate of good conduct (foreign nationals)
NR35 check (national register for those refused, suspended or had licence revoked)
Vulnerably awareness training
Written knowledge test
Driving skills assessment

If there are concerns about a driver, the council's licensing team can refer them to the licensing committee who can decide if a driver is a fit and proper person to hold a licence.

Staying safe in a taxi

The taxi and private hire trade is well-regulated and incidents are rare. Here are some simple tips you can follow to feel safe when getting a taxi.

Check the car - licensed vehicles have private hire or hackney carriage licence plates. Private hire vehicle and red taxis also have council door signs and hackney carriage have roof signs. If you order an Uber it will tell you the registration of the car and details of the driver.
Ask to see the driver's ID badge before you get in
Share your planned journey details with a friend or family member
Take a photo of the driver's ID or the taxi's licence plate
Don't share personal information, other than your destination, with the driver
Sit in the back seat behind the driver
If the driver is making you feel uncomfortable ask them to stop the car so you can get out. Try to get them to stop in a well-lit, public area where there are other people and potentially CCTV cameras. If you feel threatened or the driver refuses to stop, call 999 immediately and if you booked your journey through an app, use the in-app emergency feature

If something has happened or you felt unsafe, try to get as much information as possible about the driver and the vehicle and report it to the council's licensing team by email [email protected] or phone 01325 405888 during normal office hours. If you are in immediate danger or feel unsafe call 999.