Private hire vehicles must be pre-booked through a private hire operator. Failure to book in advance would invalidate any insurance in place therefore private hire vehicles cannot be hailed or flagged down under any circumstances.
It can be dangerous to use an unbooked private hire vehicle; the driver is not acting under the control of their operator and may be bogus. If you were to be the victim of a crime it would be very hard to trace the driver.
How many passengers will they carry?
Private hire saloon vehicles can carry four passengers and people carriers can take up to eight passengers. The rear licence plate will state how many passengers that particular vehicle can carry.
Will they carry passengers who use wheelchairs?
Saloon vehicles do not have the capability to carry passengers in their wheelchairs but are still capable of carrying passengers with a range of disabilities and wheelchair users who can transfer. Unless the driver of the vehicle has a medical exemption certificate, they must not refuse to carry assistance dogs. However, more and more private hire operators have wheelchair accessible vehicles within their fleet but do ask at the time of booking.
How much will the fare cost?
Leeds City Council does not control private hire charges. The fares are based on mileage and are calculated by the operator. You should always agree your fare with the operator/driver before getting in the vehicle.
What about safeguards?
All drivers licensed by the taxi and private hire licensing section have been fully vetted, including the completion of a Criminal Records Bureau disclosure form. All vehicles have undergone and passed stringent tests for roadworthiness to comply with the current licensing conditions before a licence is issued. If you have any concerns do not get into the vehicle.
By following the guidelines set out in the Suzy Lamplugh Trust guidance sheet you can go out and enjoy yourself knowing that you won’t be taking any unnecessary risks.
What if I have a complaint?
If you are unfortunate enough to have cause for complaint about a Leeds City Council Licence holder you may choose to take up your complaint with the driver and/or operator directly. Alternatively you can take note of the drivers name and badge number, vehicle plate number and/or vehicle registration number and contact the licensing enforcement team.
Some complaints are about poor customer service and we encourage the private hire operators to investigate and resolve the problem, which they do on a large number of occasions, and also take disciplinary action.
Where the complaint is about clear dishonesty, abusive, discriminatory or inappropriate behaviour, or where a crime is alleged, Leeds City Council will record and deal with that complaint.