Vehicle licences

Before any vehicle is licenced, it will be checked and tested to ensure that it is safe and mechanically sound, and suitable for use to carry paying passengers.

The difference between a hackney carriage and a private hire vehicle

A hackney carriage is more commonly referred to as a ‘taxi’.

Colchester taxis:

• are black vehicles
• have a roof-light ‘taxi’ sign
• display door signs which include their identification number and the council coat of arms
• display front and rear white identification plates
• Have a taximeter to record the fare

Hackney carriages do not have to be pre-booked, they can be picked up from a hackney rank or hailed (ie flagged-down) in the street.

Private hire vehicles:

• are not usually black
• do not have a roof light sign
• display door signs which say ‘private hire’ and ‘pre-booked only’
• display front and rear yellow identification plates

Private hire vehicles must be pre-booked via a private hire operator. It is illegal for a driver to pick someone up if the vehicle has not been pre-booked.

Drivers of both types of vehicle must also wear their drivers licence 'badge' while working, which has a photograph of the driver.

Identification plates will be located adjacent to the DVLA vehicle registration plates (number plates).

Taxi identification plate

Private hire identification plate

How to licence a new private hire vehicle

Read the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy and check that the vehicle you intend to licence meets all the vehicle criteria.

The age restrictions on vehicles have been removed from the policy, and the vehicle must now be a minimum of emission standards Euro 4 (petrol) or Euro 6 (diesel). This is the same as the ULEZ standards, you can check compliance using the Transport for London emissions check tool.

Apply online, complete the vehicle proprietor declaration and email with the following documentation (attached as PDF or JPEG files) to esp.support@colchester.gov.uk.

• Vehicle registration (V5) document:
  
  If you do not hold the full log book, the green new registered keeper slip will only be accepted if accompanied by a comprehensive bill of sale showing the vehicle type, registration number, purchase details, colour of vehicle, make and model, number of passengers and the date the vehicle was first registered. 
• A current insurance certificate or cover note:
  
  showing compliance with part VI of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the use of the vehicle for hire and reward – private hire (pre-booked journeys). Any named drivers must hold a Colchester City Council drivers licence.
• A current MOT Certificate: unless the vehicle is less than one year old.
• The applicants DVLA driving licence: The address shown on the driving licence must correspond with that shown on the vehicle registration document. 

The application form must be accompanied by the following documentation for all parties with a registered interest in the vehicle, as declared on the vehicle proprietor declaration:

• Proof of identity: A current passport or birth certificate.
• Right to work: Evidence that you may legally work in the UK.
• A basic DBS: Less than three months old when the application is made and a list of all previous convictions, cautions etc, whether or not they are spent.
  If you have spent six or more continuous months outside the UK, provide criminal records information from the country concerned. Where this is not possible a Certificate of Good Character is required.
  If you are an existing licensed driver you do not need to provide this as long as you have maintained your DBS update service subscription.
• Mandatory Safeguarding Training: Proof you have completed the course.

When your application has been processed, we will contact you to pay the fee and book a mechanical inspection at our nominated garage. A garage test is not required if the vehicle is new.

You must take the following documentation to your garage appointment:

• Vehicle registration (V5) document - the full log book must be presented.
• A current insurance certificate or cover note.
• A current MOT certificate.
• Your DVLA driving licence.

How to licence a Hackney Carriage (taxi)

We regulate the number of Hackney Carriage licences we issue, as such applications cannot be made for a hackney carriage vehicle licence.

When a plate becomes available, it is allocated in accordance with our approved process. The eligibility criteria and details of the process are set out in Appendix 5 of the councils policy, the Hackney Carriage Plate Allocation Policy and Process.

An existing hackney carriage licence holder may, with our permission, transfer the licence to another person.

The new proprietor will need to meet the requirements of a new vehicle licence holder, as listed under the ‘How to licence a new private hire vehicle’.

A written request to transfer, with supporting evidence (in pdf or jpg format), should be emailed to licensing.team@colchester.gov.uk.