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Private hire and hackney carriage

Private Hire - journeys must be pre-booked through a licensed Operator.

Hackney Carriage - vehicles work from a taxi rank and may apply for hire

Licence - hackney carriage - taxi

Flintshire County Council has the following policy in respect of Hackney Carriage vehicles:

Under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 this Authority has been designated a 'First Phase' Authority. As a result of this all new Hackney Carriage vehicles licensed by Flintshire will be considered in relation to the provisions of the taxi accessibility regulations, in that they must be accessible for the disabled including persons in wheelchairs.

Any new Hackney Carriage vehicle licensed by this Authority will therefore be required to be purpose built or a specialist conversion with the appropriate type approval, it will need to be distinguishable from a Private Hire Vehicle and will be fitted with Taxi/For Hire roof signs, internal partition, a fare meter and must have disabled access including full genuine wheelchair access.

All vehicles must undergo an MOT and Council suitability test every six months at one of the nominated MOT test centres within Flintshire before being licensed.

Hackney Carriage Stands (24 Hour Operation)

Connah’s Quay

  • High Street, Connah’s Quay (A548) (Northerly side) - lay-by fronting Glan-y-Morfa Court. 3 vehicle spaces.
  • Wepre Shopping Precinct, Connah’s Quay - parking area adjacent to the ‘Boathouse’ Public House. 2 vehicle spaces.
  • Pen-y-Llan Street, Connah’s Quay (Westerly side) - lay-by  2 vehicle spaces.

Mold

  • Northerly Side of A494 Chester Street (Site of former Bus Lay-by)

Licence - private hire vehicle - minicab

A Private Hire Vehicle cannot ply for hire or stand in a hackney rank. It must be pre-booked with a private hire operator, and cannot operate independently from that operator.

A vehicle licence must be obtained from the Council before the vehicle can be used for this purpose.

Procedure for Licensing a Vehicle

Prior to the vehicle being licensed for private hire purposes, the vehicle must undergo and pass a full MOT and council inspection at one of the Approved garages (below).

  • Arrangements for this test/inspection must be made direct with the chosen Garage and the fee, the same as normal MOT, paid to the garage at the time of the test.
  • PCM Repairs have class V11 facilities and are able to test larger minibuses. 
  • At the time of booking the test you will need to provide the full registration number, private hire licence and indicate fully the type of test you require.
  • Re-tests must be undertaken by the same garage carrying out the initial test. There will be no addition to the fee for the re-test provided it is carried out within seven days of the initial test. No re-test will be undertaken after seven days and full test be required and a new fee paid. 
  • All vehicles must undergo an annual MOT and Council suitability test every six months at one of four nominated MOT test centres within Flintshire before being licensed.

When the vehicle has successfully passed the MOT test and Council inspection, certificates will be issued in respect of each test. Both certificates must be produced for examination when attending at County Hall to licence the vehicle, together with the other documents required, as follows:

  • Vehicle registration document
  • Current certificate or cover note of insurance for private hire use showing the registration number of the vehicle concerned
  • Licence fee
  • Completed private hire vehicle licence application form

Licence plate

Once licensed, the vehicle is issued with a rear licence plate which must be affixed to the rear of the vehicle and a corresponding internal licence, showing the expiry date of the licence. It must also display the name and telephone number of the private hire operator on the two front doors.

The rear licence plate must be securely affixed to the rearmost part of the vehicle in accordance with vehicle licence conditions. Display of the plate in the rear window is not acceptable.

In order to assist licensed proprietors in complying with the above licence condition, the council has secured a supply of plate brackets that are designed to be used in conjunction with the plate.  Vehicle proprietors can purchase a bracket from the council at the reduced price of £15.00 (normally retail price at around £22.00).  Details of the brackets are displayed on the licensing notice board at main reception County Hall, or can be obtained direct from the manufacturer MOGO (new window).

Vehicles seating more that 4 passengers

Persons wishing to licence as a private hire vehicle a vehicle that seats more than 4 passengers but less than 9, would be advised to contact the Council for advice regarding its suitability to be licensed. The following additional condition applies to vehicles licensed to carry more than 4 persons:

Each passenger must have direct access to and egress from the vehicle without the need to climb over other seats or luggage. This would not include where a seat has to be tipped to allow access or egress.  Any seat must measure 400mm at the narrowest point

Nominated testing stations (PDF 44KB new window)

Licence - private hire and hackney carriage drivers

This is a dual licence that allows the holder to drive both Private Hire and Hackney Carriage vehicles licensed by Flintshire County Council. A licence can only be issued once the Authority is satisfied that the applicant is a fit and proper person to hold such a licence.

Licensed drivers are issued with a badge showing their picture, the licence number and expiry date. Drivers must wear their badge at all times when working, and must work through a licensed private hire operator.

Various checks are completed in order to satisfy this criteria, these are:

  • Enhanced Disclosure Check, with the Criminal Records Bureau.
  • DVLA Fee Paying Enquiry, on applicants driving licence.
  • Medical Examination, to Group II standard completed by applicants own doctor.
  • Reference Checks, two names must be provided to be contacted by the Council.

Convictions or cautions

When submitting an application for a licence to drive a Hackney Carriage or Private Hire Vehicle you are requested to declare any convictions or cautions you may have, and this includes those that are regarded as ‘spent’ under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act , 1974.

The following document provides further information:

Private Hire and Hackney Carriage Licences – Statement Relating to Convictions (PDF 40KB new window)

We also must have regard to the Department for Transport Statutory Standards when determining licenses. 

Applying for your DBS and DVLA Checks

Once you have made your application for a new or renewal Private Hire and Hackney Carriage Driver Licence, please follow the below links to make an application for your enhanced DBS certificate and DVLA check. You will need both unless you have been advised otherwise. 

Please be advised that you will need your Flintshire County Council application number in order to proceed.

DBS Only
DVLA Only
DBS and DVLA

Licence - private hire operators

A private hire operator is responsible for taking the booking for a private hire vehicle and dispatching the vehicle and driver to fulfil that booking.

Legislation and licence conditions place duties on private hire operators to ensure that the vehicles and drivers they operate are properly licensed. Before being licensed as a private hire operator, applicants are required to undergo certain checks and they must have obtained the relevant planning permission for the premises where the bookings will be taken. 

For an application form or further advice please contact the Licensing Office.

Private Hire Vehicle Specifications

List of licensed operators in Flintshire

In order to assist members of the general public to check whether a private hire operator is correctly licensed, the Council is now maintaining a list of all licensed private hire operators.

List of Licensed Private Hire Operators (PDF 41KB new window)

Designated wheelchair accessible vehicles

The Government has commenced Sections 165 and 167 of the Equality Act 2010 (“the Act”). Section 167 of the Act provides Councils with the power to make lists of wheelchair accessible vehicles, described as “designated vehicles”.

Flintshire County Council have used this power to provide a list of all such vehicles.For a vehicle to be classed as wheelchair accessible it must be capable of carrying some, but not necessarily all types of occupied wheelchairs. The vehicle will only be included in the Council’s list if it would be possible for the user of a 'reference wheelchair' to enter and exit the vehicle and travel in the passenger compartment in safety and reasonable comfort whilst seated in their wheelchair.

The driver of a designated vehicle must:

  • carry the passenger while in the wheelchair
  • not make any additional charge for doing so
  • carry the wheelchair if the passenger chooses to sit in a passenger seat
  • take such steps as are necessary to ensure that the passenger is carried in safety and reasonable comfort
  • give the passenger such mobility assistance as is reasonably required.If a driver fails to comply with any of the above while designated vehicle for hire and reward they will be committing an offence.

Designated Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles List

The list will be updated on a monthly basis.

Hackney Carriage - Table of Fares

Notice is hereby given under Section 65 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, the County Council have made the undermentioned table of fares for Hackney Carriages:

Hackney Carriage – Table of Fares
RATE 1Fare
Journeys not exceeding 1 mile £3.60
Journeys exceeding 1 mile, for the first mile £3.10
For each subsequent 216 yards or part thereof £0.30
WAITING TIMEFare
For each 1 minute or uncompleted part thereof £0.30
For 1 hour £18.00
EXTRA CHARGESFare
Luggage £0.30
For each person in excess of 2 (children under 5 yrs of age exempt) £0.40
Animals (except Guide Dogs) £1.20
Soilage (up to) £50.00
RATE 2Fare
Journeys between 12:00 midnight and 6:00am Rate 1 & 10% (=£3.96)
Journeys ending outside the borough  
Pre-booked journeys  
RATE 3Fare
For journeys anytime on statutory Bank Holidays, Excluding Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Years Day (including 24 December and 31 December at any time) Rate 1 & 50% (=£5.40)
RATE 4Fare
For journeys any time on Christmas Day, Boxing Day & New Year’s Day Rate 1 & 100% (=£7.20)

Further information

For more information about private hire and hackney carriage licensing, please contact the Licensing Section:

Telephone: 01352 703030

Write to: Head of Public Protection, Environment Directorate, Flintshire County Council, County Hall, Mold, Flintshire, CH7 6NF

E-mail: licensing@flintshire.gov.uk