Operate means
"
in the course of business to make provision for the invitation or acceptance of bookings for a private hire vehicle"
Private hire vehicles and drivers may only be despatched by a licensed private hire operator. A person can apply for an operator's licence to operate from a premises within the Borough. The operators premises will usually contain a telephone system and some means of recording bookings as they are taken. More modern offices will have comprehensive IT booking and recording systems. They must apply for a licence from the local authority in whose area they plan to do most of their private hire work. This does not exclude them from taking bookings for journeys starting and finishing outside the Borough boundaries.
Drivers who carry out the journeys for an operator are mostly self-employed and will usually pay a 'circuit fee' to an operator for the benefit of being given the bookings and will be required to work under that operators licence and telephone number only.
Fares should be agreeable in advance and at the time of booking provided detailed journey information is given at the time of making a booking.
Operators remain responsible for a booking once made and any issues with the journey or the booking should be taken up with the operator unless it is an issue that could affect their suitability to hold a licence. In those cases we suggest you talk to a Licensing Officer at the Council.
Operators may sub-contract work but only to licensed operators in the same area licensed by the same Local Authority. They will however remain responsible for that booking in spite of sub-contracting it. They must also keep a record of each sub contracted booking.
Operators are only permitted to despatch drivers and vehicles licensed by the same Local Authority as themselves.
Applicants for operators licences are required to provide information about their employment history and any roles they may have held in previous companies such as a company secretary or director. They will also need to undergo a basic criminal history check.
Operators must have a base and facility to take phone calls and record bookings. This can range from a commercial office to the back bedroom of a domestic premises. Operators are required to keep records of all their bookings in a format and level of detail determined by the council. This may include paper logs or computer records.
No private hire driver or vehicle may work without taking bookings directly from an operator. They are not permitted by law to take bookings directly from a passenger.
Operator licences are issued subject to strict licence conditions which can be downloaded below. We recommend you read all the accompanying information prior to making an application for a licence.
If you wish to discuss applying for an operators licence, please call the Licensing Team on 01256 844844
Click here for Licence Fees
