Taxi and Private Hire Information

Taxi and private hire services

Taxis (black cabs) are the only vehicles that can be hailed on the street or at designated taxi ranks. All taxis are fitted with a meter, which shows the fare payable at the end of your journey, and a ‘TAXI’ light.

Private hire covers a wide range of services including minicabs, limousines, executive car services, and chauffeur-driven vehicles. All minicab and private hire journeys must be booked with a licensed private hire operator – any minicab or other private hire vehicle that is not booked is uninsured, unsafe and illegal.

Lost property

If you’ve lost property in a taxi you should report this to TfL’s Lost Property Office.

You can contact the Lost Property Office by using the form on our website at tfl.gov.uk/lostproperty or by calling 0343 222 1234.

Property found in London taxis can be handed into a police station by the driver before being forwarded to the Lost Property Office and can take up to seven days to arrive when sent from police stations.

Property found in private hire vehicles is held at the relevant private hire operator’s office, where a record of lost property is kept. Please contact the operator you booked with directly to check if they have found your property.

Assistance dogs

All taxis and private hire vehicles, including minicabs, carry assistance dogs at no extra charge.

If you have an assistance dog and have experienced any problems when trying to use a taxi or private hire vehicle in London please let us know.

 

Taxi fares from 30 April 2022

The taximeter calculates the maximum fare based on the time of day, distance traveled, and taxi speed. Drivers must, unless they have good cause, accept any hiring up to 12 miles (20 miles if at Heathrow Airport), or up to one-hour duration if the destination is in Greater London.

Once a journey reaches approximately six miles the rate at which the taxi fare increases changes. Full details of the taxi fares and tariffs can be found on our website at tfl.gov.uk/taxifares.

 

The driver is not obliged to accept hiring if the destination is outside Greater London and the fare for such a journey may be negotiated between the driver and the passenger.

 

  • There is a minimum fare of £3.80 at all times
  • There are no extra charges for luggage or additional passengers

·       Card payments

  • All taxis must have a working card payment device installed in the passenger compartment
  • There are no extra charges when paying by debit or credit card
  • All taxis accept American Express, MasterCard, and Visa

·       Additional charges

  • Phone and online bookings: up to £2
  • Heathrow Airport
    • Up to £3.60 for journeys that start from a taxi rank at Heathrow Airport and finish within Greater London
    • Up to £5.20 when being dropped off in one of the terminal drop-off zones at Heathrow Airport
  • Christmas/New Year: £4 for journeys made between 20:00 on 24 December and 06:00 on 27 December or between 20:00 on 31 December and 06:00 on 2 January
  • Soiling charge: the driver can charge the hirer a soiling charge of up to £60 for soiling that requires the taxi to be taken out of service for cleaning

 

Heathrow drop-off charge

There is an extra charge of up to £5.20 for dropping off passengers in one of the terminal drop-off zones at Heathrow Airport. This extra charge is to help taxi drivers cover the cost of the Terminal Drop-Off Charge (TDOC) introduced by Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL).

Blue Badge holders can apply online to HAL for a discount from the TDOC for the taxi dropping them off.

Blue Badge holders should let the taxi driver know at the start of the journey if they have a Blue Badge or have been granted a discount from the TDOC.

 

When applying for a discount from the TDOC Blue Badge holders will need to provide the following information to HAL:

  • Date they are being dropped off
  • Flight number
  • Registration of the taxi dropping them off
  • Their Blue Badge number
  • An email address
  • Photo of the front and back of their Blue Badge

Confirmation that the discount has been granted will be sent to the email address provided.

More information about the TDOC and the form to complete for a discount are available at heathrow.com/transport-and- directions/terminal-drop-off-charge.

 

Passenger Information

Visit tfl.gov.uk/taxis-and-minicabs to search for the details of licensed private hire operators by the service they offer (minicab, limousine, etc.) and the area they serve.

Call TfL’s 24-hour Travel Information Call Centre on 0343 222 1234 for information on taxi and private hire services, including minicabs, in any part of London.

Visit tfl.gov.uk for more help planning your journey.

Comments and Complaints

If you want to make a complaint or comment about taxi or private hire services in London you can: