People use the words “taxi”, “cab” and “minicab” interchangeably. The law doesn’t. In the UK, there are two completely separate regulated categories, with different rules about how you can hire them, how they’re priced, and what licences they need.
Hackney Carriages (“taxis”)
These are the licensed cabs you can hail in the street or pick up at a designated rank. In London, that’s the iconic black cab; in other cities they’re a mix of saloons and people-carriers, marked with a “TAXI” roof sign and a council plate.
- Hailing: legal anywhere on a public road.
- Pricing: by metered tariff set by the council.
- The Knowledge: London black-cab drivers must memorise 25,000 streets — a famously brutal exam. Other councils have their own topographical tests.
Private Hire Vehicles (“PHVs”, “minicabs”)
These are pre-booked only. You cannot hail one in the street — and if a driver offers you a ride at the kerb without a booking on their device, that’s an offence called “plying for hire”.
- Booking: must be made through a licensed operator (app, website or phone). The booking is recorded.
- Pricing: agreed up-front, either fixed or by quote. Not metered (with rare exceptions).
- Vehicles: marked with a council PHV plate and licensing roundel; not a roof sign.
- Drivers: PHV-licensed by their council, with an enhanced DBS check.
Why this matters to you
Safety
Both categories are vetted and regulated. The biggest risk to passengers in the UK isn’t a licensed driver of either type — it’s an unlicensed driver pretending to be either. If you’ve booked a private hire, your operator knows the booking, the driver, the car, and the route. If a stranger pulls up offering a lift, neither category protects you. Always ask “What’s the booking name?” before getting in a minicab.
Pricing
Black-cab meters are public and regulated, but they tick up in traffic, on detours, and waiting at lights. PHV operators usually quote a fixed price up-front based on route length, time of day, and vehicle class. For longer or planned journeys, fixed-price PHV is cheaper most of the time.
Convenience
Black cabs are unbeatable for an immediate hail in central London. PHVs win for pre-booked journeys, airport transfers, account work, and anything outside the cab’s favourite zones.
What about ride-hailing apps?
Apps like Uber, Bolt and FreeNow are operators in the legal sense. Drivers on those platforms are PHV-licensed; the app is the booking system. So a ride summoned on Uber is a private hire booking, and it follows PHV rules — pre-booked, no street hailing, no meter.
The bottom line
- If you’re hailing: it’s a black cab / hackney carriage. Metered fare. Local council’s rules.
- If you’ve pre-booked: it’s private hire. Fixed or quoted fare. Operator-licensed.
Both are safe and regulated when you use them properly. The risk is unlicensed cars masquerading as either — book through an operator you trust.
Book a fixed-price journey with Easy MiniCab — you’ll see the price before you confirm.