Running a Hackney Carriage for personal use?
Discussion
Not a thread about Stephen Fry, Bez or any of the other celebrities known to drive a black cab as a personal vehicle 
Today I saw a Mercedes GLA wearing a Hackney Carriage plate on the M4 into London (not a private hire plate, definitely Hackney Carriage, but I didn't see which authority licenced it). My first thought was that an A-Class is surely too small to be a taxi, and I noticed it didn't have anything visible from the front to indicate it was a taxi, so no-one would know to flag it down. I've just googled what the Hackney Carriage requirements are, didn't find the London ones but the general rule across various councils includes a requirement that they must be capable of carrying chairbound passengers... Can't see someone wheeling up a ramp into an A-Class, especially one on stilts.
Is this a swizz, possibly to use buslanes? Or have I just missed all the supermini taxis that have been running around London?
If it is the latter, what's the oddest choice for a "proper" taxi you have seen?
Today I saw a Mercedes GLA wearing a Hackney Carriage plate on the M4 into London (not a private hire plate, definitely Hackney Carriage, but I didn't see which authority licenced it). My first thought was that an A-Class is surely too small to be a taxi, and I noticed it didn't have anything visible from the front to indicate it was a taxi, so no-one would know to flag it down. I've just googled what the Hackney Carriage requirements are, didn't find the London ones but the general rule across various councils includes a requirement that they must be capable of carrying chairbound passengers... Can't see someone wheeling up a ramp into an A-Class, especially one on stilts.
Is this a swizz, possibly to use buslanes? Or have I just missed all the supermini taxis that have been running around London?
If it is the latter, what's the oddest choice for a "proper" taxi you have seen?
Looking at the first couple that google shows, Hackney criteria are listed below:
Vehicles should be less than four years old on the date of the first application
Engine size of the vehicle must be at least 1400 cc
Vehicle must have three doors which are accessible to fare-paying passengers
Vehicle must be designed for the purpose of carrying passengers, not goods
or
have passenger seats which are at least 16 inches/406mm wide
have at least 9 inches/229mm of clear knee room per passenger
have driver mirrors on the near and offside
be right hand drive only
not be a convertible or cabriolet
Vehicles should be less than four years old on the date of the first application
Engine size of the vehicle must be at least 1400 cc
Vehicle must have three doors which are accessible to fare-paying passengers
Vehicle must be designed for the purpose of carrying passengers, not goods
or
have passenger seats which are at least 16 inches/406mm wide
have at least 9 inches/229mm of clear knee room per passenger
have driver mirrors on the near and offside
be right hand drive only
not be a convertible or cabriolet
Each individual authority is different
My local authority puts zero restrictions on vehicles and as for age state
4.7 Vehicle Age Limits
The Authority does not have an age limit on private hire and hackney carriage vehicles.
In fact there was a taxi strike when the council tried to impose an age limit, some of the ex-London black cabs are 15-20+ years old ( and look it )
My local authority puts zero restrictions on vehicles and as for age state
4.7 Vehicle Age Limits
The Authority does not have an age limit on private hire and hackney carriage vehicles.
In fact there was a taxi strike when the council tried to impose an age limit, some of the ex-London black cabs are 15-20+ years old ( and look it )
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