Taxi and Private Hire Cars

Taxis can use taxi ranks and be hailed in the street, while private hire cars must be pre-booked.

The latest statistics report that there are over 24,000 taxis and private hire cars in Scotland with over 35,000 licensed drivers.

Local authorities are responsible for the creation, management and enforcement of their local taxi and private hire car licensing regime following the framework provided for in the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982.

Local authorities have wide discretion in applying a local regime that best meets the specific requirements of their local area and can take account of the views of customers, the trade, and their own legal advice.

This includes the ability to set standards, including in respect of vehicle accessibility and driver disability awareness training. Consequently, different local authorities have different rules for their area.