What is the difference between taxi, private hire, and chauffeur services?
London Heliport advertises with Chauffeur, taxi and local private hire car services. That sounds like three times the same thing, but I've seen taxi and private hire mentioned separately elsewhere as well. What are the differences? Does private hire mean things like Uber and other unlicensed taxis, sometimes referred to as gypsy cabs?
Best Answer
Chauffeur: may only be supplied to customers of the heliport.
Taxi: licenced, can ply for trade (you can hail at the roadside).
Private hire: licenced for pre-booked journeys only (but you can book by phone and be picked up as soon as a car can reach you).
For what it's worth, Uber falls in the last category.
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What is the difference between taxi and private hire?
Black taxis & private hire - the differenceBlack taxis are purpose-built vehicles which can be any colour, not just black. Private hire vehicles cover a wide range of vehicles, including minicabs, chauffeur and executive cars and limousines.What are chauffeur services?
A chauffeur is someone employed to look after the needs of the passenger as well as the operation of the motor vehicle. A chauffeur is an experienced, licensed professional. A chauffeur will serve your every need; from security, to booking reservations, sourcing restaurants, school runs and errands.What does private hire taxi mean?
"A private hire vehicle is a motor vehicle constructed or adapted to seat fewer than nine passengers, other than a hackney carriage, public service vehicle or a London cab, which is provided for hire with the services of a driver for the purpose of carrying passengers." (The Difference Between Drivers and Chauffeurs
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