Hackney carriages
Hackney carriages have a 'taxi' roof sign and a calibrated meter to calculate the fare. They can pick up from designated taxi ranks or be hailed in the street. There is no legal requirement for an advance booking.
The vehicle should display a white hackney carriage vehicle licence (known as a plate) on the outside rear of the vehicle. The driver should wear or display an ID badge which details their:
- name
- licence number
- the expiry date of the licence.
Cost of the fare
The fares are set by the local authority and a table of fares should be clearly displayed in the vehicle.
- For journeys with a destination within the Slough boundary, the cost of the journey is calculated by the meter.
- Outside the Slough boundary, the fare can be negotiated with the passenger before the journey commences.
Number of passengers
The licence plate will state how many passengers the vehicle is licensed to carry.
- Hackney carriage saloon vehicles can carry four passengers.
- People carriers or wheelchair accessible vehicles can take up to eight passengers.
Additional road usage charges
If the journey includes roads which are subjected to road usage charges for example Congestion Charge, airport drop off charges or emmissions then these fees can be charged in addition to the metered or negotiated fare. This must be discussed before the driver pulls away.