General information on taxi vehicles

Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles: What is the Difference?

When you’re travelling around North Norfolk, you will see two types of licensed vehicles: hackney carriage taxis and private hire vehicles.

Both are licensed by the Council and must meet safety standards, but they operate differently. This guide helps you choose the right service for your journey.

Hackney carriage taxis

Taxis are the vehicles you can pick up without booking.

• You can hail a taxi in the street.
• You can get a taxi from a taxi rank.
• Fares are calculated using a meter set by the Council.
• Drivers and vehicles follow strict safety and licensing rules.
• Available for immediate, on‑the‑spot travel.

Ideal for: quick trips, spontaneous travel, late‑night journeys, or when you need to leave straight away.

Private Hire Vehicles

Private hire journeys must always be booked in advance.

• You cannot hail these vehicles in the street.
• You cannot get into one from a taxi rank.
• You must book through a licensed operator by phone, online, or app.
• The fare is normally agreed when you book.
• Operators keep booking records for your safety.

Ideal for: planned journeys, airport trips, medical appointments, school or day‑centre transport, or longer‑distance travel. 

Why are the rules different?

The two systems exist to keep passengers safe and ensure fair competition.

• Taxis can pick up passengers instantly, so meters and stricter rules protect you from unfair pricing.
• Private hire journeys are planned in advance, so operators must record bookings and ensure vehicles are allocated safely and responsibly

Travel safely

• Check that the vehicle has Council‑issued plates.
• Make sure the driver's badge is on display.
• Always pre‑book if it’s private hire.
• If you’re unsure, ask the driver what type of licence they hold

More information

Taxis, private hire vehicles and pedicabs must be licensed. A new licence is required every year. Appointments can be booked in advance online on our booking page. 

An authorised garage must inspect all vehicles within one month before the application is assessed. The inspection fee is paid by the vehicle holder directly to the authorised garage. The Taxi Testing Station information contains details of the authorised garages.

Only NNDC-licensed taxi drivers are permitted to drive NNDC-licensed vehicles.

Taxi handbook

A copy of the taxi handbook is given to all new licensed taxi drivers. It is also available online. The handbook explains the full details about licensed vehicles in North Norfolk.

Taxi ranks

We provide taxi ranks for hackney carriages to use in 7 towns in North Norfolk. These ranks are for the sole use of NNDC-licensed vehicles to stand and wait for passengers.

View taxi rank locations