Taxi, private hire and vehicle licences

Taxis (hackney carriage vehicle)

A taxi, also called a hackney carriage can be hailed in the street and is allowed to wait on designated ranks. A taxi does not have to be pre-booked. Taxis can usually be spotted by the illuminated signs on top of the vehicle. All licensed taxis are required to display a white plate at the rear of the vehicle which contains the licence number and the number of passengers the vehicle can legally transport.

Taxis can be found on ranks in Oakham:

• High Street, near the market place
• South Street outside Tesco
• railway station.

Private hire vehicles

A private hire vehicle must be pre-booked through a licensed private hire operator. Private hire vehicles cannot be flagged down in the street and are not allowed to wait on a rank. A private hire vehicle can be identified by a yellow licence plate, as opposed to a white plate displayed by taxis. 

A private hire vehicle can only carry a maximum of 8 passengers and includes various types of saloon, estate or people carrier vehicles. 

Legislation and guidance 

Town Police Clauses Act (1847)

Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (1976)

Guidance on determining the suitability of applicants