| The Licensing Authority
The Local Authority has a statutory duty to licence vehicles and drivers who wish to become members of the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire trade within the district of St Albans.
These powers are granted under two Acts:
- Town Police Clauses Act 1847
- Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976
Town Police Clauses Act 1847
Deals mainly with hackney carriage. A hackney carriage is allowed to pick up from the street, to stand and ply for hire on ranks and be flagged down on any street.
Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976
Deals mainly with private hire. Private hire drivers may only undertake pre-booked journeys. Usually an operator receives a booking then dispatches a private hire vehicle for the pick-up.
It is vital that private hire drivers ensure that they collect the passengers who have made the booking or they may be liable for prosecution for plying for hire without the necessary licence to do so.
Types of Licence
There are three types of licences:
- Drivers
- Vehicles
- Operators
Application Packs
You can download the application packs however the driver application requires the completion of the Criminal Records Bureau application form and this can only be ordered by ringing the Licensing Section at St Albans Council on: 01727 819453 / 819541.
Drivers
The drivers licence is commonly referred to as the 'badge'. This will only be issued to drivers who have met the licensing criteria laid out in the 'Drivers Application Pack'. A licence is issued for a period of 3 years or less.
 Driver Application Pack
Vehicle
The vehicle licence is normally referred to as a 'plate'. The 'Vehicle Application Pack' details the criteria vehicles must comply with to be licensed. A licence is issued for a period of 1 year or less.
Vehicle Application Pack
Operator
The operator licence is issued to an individual or company that offers a service of pre-booking fares. This can be done by telephone or by application form and is relevant for both hackney carriage and private hire companies/drivers. A licence is issued for 1 year.
Operators Application Pack
The Law
All licenses issued by the Council are subject to all the relevant legislation.
Public Safety
The licensing regime exists to ensure the safety of the travelling public. The vast majority of the trade provides a professional and courteous service to the public.
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