[THE AMATUER]

Lately I keep seeing cars with a sticker in the back window saying something like private hire. I assume they are minicabs but some of the cars look to old and scruffy to be minicabs. Is this a new law that they have to display this sign or something to do with the Congestion Charge?

[Iccz]

as far as i'm aware, private hire is what it says, private hire, a taxi is more public hire as you can just get one off the street, a private hire is what you'll book like to an airport or similar.

[funkyspider]

I don't believe private hire can stop and collect people from official taxi ranks or from the street. They have to be booked through an office. Black cab taxis can be flagged down

[Zeromajor]

Don't a lot of people get around paying the congestion charge by applying for their car to be a private hire taxi?

I'm sure I heard clarkson talking about it on top gear a while ago...

[mjn]

Originally Posted by MajorZero

Don't a lot of people get around paying the congestion charge by applying for their car to be a private hire taxi?

I'm sure I heard clarkson talking about it on top gear a while ago...

Taxi's can also use Bus Lanes. The boss of RyanAir, (i forget his name) was sick of getting stuck in traffic in Dublin, so registered his car as a taxi, and can now use bus lanes

[nheather]

I'm sure I heard clarkson talking about it on top gear a while ago...

Yep I saw that one. read out a list of the numbers of rare makes registered as taxis (porsches, ferraris etc). I remember that even the cost of registering your car as a taxi\cab was pretty minimal.

Cheers,

Nigel