James Holloway
Why the same journey costs different amounts in different places
Taxi fares in Britain are set locally, not nationally. Every council that licenses hackney carriages — the cabs you can hail in the street or pick up from a rank — also approves its own maximum tariff. That is why a two-mile trip in a quiet market town might cost £6 while the same distance in central London at midnight can comfortably pass £15. Private hire vehicles, which must be pre-booked through an operator, sit under a different set of rules again, though their fares are usually quoted in advance.
Most licensed areas publish several tariffs rather than one. A typical structure looks like this:
- Tariff 1 — standard daytime running, usually Monday to Friday between roughly 6am and 8pm.
- Tariff 2 — evenings, weekends, and sometimes early mornings, adding anything from 20% to 60% to the meter.
- Tariff 3 — public holidays, Christmas Eve, New Year, and occasionally late-night weekend hours, where the increase can be steeper still.
The meter itself usually combines two elements: a fixed initial charge (sometimes called the flag fall) and a running charge applied per unit of distance or per minute, whichever the vehicle covers more slowly. When traffic grinds to a halt, the meter effectively switches to charging for time rather than distance.
What the meter shows and what you actually pay
The figure on the meter is the legal maximum for that journey — a licensed hackney driver cannot charge more than the meter reads, and in most areas must use the meter at all for a journey beginning within the licensing district. If a driver quotes you a flat fee higher than the meter would have been, you are entitled to insist on the meter.
Where it gets fiddly is the list of permitted extras that sit outside the meter reading. These vary enormously by council, but commonly include:
- Airport and station surcharges — a fixed addition for pick-ups from a designated terminal or rank, often £2 to £6.
- Extra passengers — in some areas more than four passengers attracts an additional charge per head.
- Large luggage — a set amount per item, though a handbag or briefcase is almost never chargeable.
- Assistance dogs and guide dogs — never chargeable, and refusing them is unlawful.
- Soiling or cleaning charges — applied only if a passenger makes a genuine mess, and generally capped by the council.
Always ask for a receipt if you have any doubt. It should show the fare, any extras, the licence number, and the operator or council details.
Minimum charges, waiting time and the small print
Almost every licensing authority sets a minimum fare — the amount you pay even if your journey ends after 300 yards. In smaller towns this might be £3 to £4; in London it is higher still. Short hops are therefore poor value, and it is often cheaper to walk five minutes than to take a cab two streets.
Waiting time is the other area where costs creep. The meter normally starts running as soon as the vehicle is hired, not when you get in, so asking a driver to wait outside a shop while you browse is charged at the same rate as slow-moving traffic. If you know you will need the car later, a pre-booked private hire arrangement with an agreed waiting allowance is usually better value than leaving a hackney cab ticking over.
Fares also change at defined clock times. If your journey spans a tariff change — say you set off at 7.55pm and arrive at 8.20pm — the meter typically switches to the higher band partway through. There is nothing underhand about this; it is simply how the tariff is programmed.
Van hire and man-and-van transport: how the pricing really works
Van transport follows a different logic. Rather than a meter, you are usually quoted either an hourly rate (often with a minimum of one or two hours, plus travel time to reach you) or a fixed price for a described job. Hourly rates for a small van with a driver commonly sit somewhere between £30 and £60 an hour depending on region and vehicle size, with larger Luton vans and tail-lift vehicles costing more.
Watch for the additional items that get added to the final invoice:
- Loading and unloading time — charged at the same hourly rate, so a fourth-floor flat with no lift can add an hour.
- Congestion Charge and ULEZ — payable in London and some other clean air zones, and legitimately passed on to you.
- Tolls and bridges — Dartford, the M6 Toll, the Humber Bridge and the Severn crossings are typically added at cost.
- Parking and waiting — including any penalty incurred while loading where stopping is restricted.
- Extra helpers — usually a per-person hourly charge if you need a second pair of hands.
Ask for the quote in writing, with the inclusions spelled out. A good operator will happily confirm the van size, the number of helpers, the hourly rate, and what happens if the job overruns.
Practical ways to keep your fare sensible
A few habits make a real difference. Book private hire in advance where you can, since the price is agreed before you travel and you avoid surge-style evening tariffs. Travel outside peak hours if your plans allow, and remember that the difference between 7.30pm and 8.30pm on a Friday can be surprisingly large.
Have your destination ready, use a full postcode, and confirm the route briefly at the start — most drivers will happily take the route you prefer. Keep luggage to what you can manage, since oversized bags attract charges. Finally, check whether your council publishes its fare table online; most do, and reading it once removes all the guesswork from your next journey.
