You must book private hire cars in advance by telephone, app or by visiting the office of a private hire operator. Private hire cars cannot stop in the street and pick you up and you cannot hail them.
It is illegal for a private hire vehicle to take a journey which has not been pre-booked or to accept a fare by being hailed.
Private hire cars display a bright yellow, 'half-moon' roof sign with the private hire licence number and the words 'Advance booking only'. The vehicles display yellow identification plates on the front and back of the vehicle. These plates show the vehicle licence number, the expiry date of the licence and the vehicle registration number.
The fares are set by the private hire operator, not by the council. You can ask the operator for a quote in advance.