A private hire taxi is an ordinary-looking car which is licensed by the local authority to carry passengers. They are not as distinctive as Hackney Cabs and cannot be hailed in the street.
In Manchester you have to book these taxis in advance, as they cannot be flagged down for passing trade. However, they are similar in that they have to conform to local authority standards.
You will find that private hire taxis are cheaper than Hackney Cabs as there costs and licensing differs, and they are more open to competition from rival firms.
When you book a private taxi you can expect much the same service as you would receive from a Hackney Cab, but without the expense. Most private hire taxis will seat four passengers comfortably, but you can request larger vehicles to accommodate up to seven passengers. In comparison, Hackney Cabs can accommodate five passengers.
Taxis must display licensing plates below or besides the number plates of their vehicles, and you should take note of these if you have a complaint. Taxis have meters which will show the initial fare plus callout fare when you begin your journey. After the initial amount is shown, the charge will gradually increase as your distance and time clocks up on the meter.
Private taxis are much the same in any country except that in Manchester you cannot get one by standing at the side of the road, so please don't be angry if you're standing at a curb in the pouring rain and empty taxis go past you without stopping. They are not allowed to.
Airport taxi Manchester Transfer
For an occasion like the one described you'll need to flag down the black Hackney Cabs. In cities other than Manchester there are different regulations so check these out for different cities. In some places you can flag down a taxi or ask for the nearest taxi rank and join a queue, which will be a long one if it's raining! In all cities though, taxis are licensed and you should never get into an unlicensed vehicle for your own safety.
Taxi drivers know where they need to take you and you will not be expected to give directions, especially with the increasing use of satellite navigation. If you suspect that you are being taken a longer route for the purposes of gaining a higher fare, then do not be afraid to specify an alternative. You can also take the drivers license number and report him/her to the company from which you hired them and then to the local authority. Because you can do this easily it is unlikely that you will encounter such a problem, but it's always better to know what you can do in situations like this. Forewarned is forearmed as they say.
It is possible to hire a taxi for the day or for part of the day and you might like to consider this if you don't want to drive around a foreign city yourself. If there are three or four people in your group, then hiring a taxi for a day could be an ideal way for you to see all the sights at your leisure. You can purchase a guidebook and have your driver take you wherever you want to go for a prearranged fee and not have to follow a tour guide or be in a large group of other tourists. Ideal for the more independently-minded, and there's no fear of getting lost in a foreign city, which can be a daunting experience even for the most intrepid traveler.
