South Cambridgeshire taxi and private-hire licensing

RESEARCHED AUTHORITY

South Cambridgeshire

South Cambridgeshire Council · Sources checked 13 September 2026

Driver licensing

Official route/source found

Current guidance reviewed 17 April 2026 requires three years full UK driving-licence evidence, DVLA share code, active DBS Update subscription and Group 2 medical no older than three months from a practitioner with full records. A validated application receives a fee link, payable within 48 hours.

• Current driver guidance

Vehicle licensing

Official route/source found

The council's 1 November 2025 policy requires hackneys to be white, fully wheelchair accessible and at least Euro 6. Private hire normally requires Euro 6 or zero/ultra-low emissions, but vehicles specifically built or professionally adapted for wheelchair users have an explicit Euro 5 exception. The zero/ultra-low requirement by December 2030 is future and subject to a 2027 review, not a current ban on combustion vehicles. New applications need approved-garage MOT and compliance certificates issued within one month, regardless of vehicle age; hire insurance, V5C, approved CCTV installation certificate and a basic DBS within one month for non-driver proprietors are also required. Renewals require recent MOT/compliance, insurance and the relevant proprietor DBS. No more than eight passengers may be licensed. These principal current standards replace a statistics-only partial; specialist-vehicle conditions remain separately linked in the policy.

• Taxi and PHV vehicle policies by licensing area (TAXI0108)
• Current official vehicle licensing requirements

Operator licensing

Official route/source found

Applicants need a South Cambridgeshire office, suitability/fit-and-proper assessment and premises assessment. The application checklist requires non-driver operators' Basic DBS under one month old, National Insurance and right-to-work proof, ICO registration, and procedures covering training, complaints, customer service, disability awareness, discipline and lost property. Public liability insurance and landlord permission are required where applicable. The council requires original right-to-work documents and will not issue without that entitlement. The page was reviewed 17 April 2026; applicants must also read the licensing policy and relevant appendices.

• Operator application checklist reviewed April 2026

Licensing fees

Official evidence found; detail still to confirm

Secondary reference only: TaxiTools, checked by that publisher on 1 August 2026, reports driver new £290 including first competency test, three-year renewal £175, vehicle new/renewal £195/£155, operator one-year £250 or five-year £930 and one-year renewal £205. Council application pages returned server errors during this review, so these amounts have not been independently confirmed as current council charges; confirm before payment.

• TaxiTools secondary fee reference, not council verification

Taxi tariff

Official evidence found; detail still to confirm

Officially reproduced South Cambridgeshire card effective18April2022: first92m included; day07–19 £3.30, nights19–07/Sundays/bank holidays£4.40, festive£5.40. Festive24December19–BoxingDay07 and31December19–NewYearDay07. Subsequent started175yd/160m20p across bands. Meter combines distance/time, with waiting or travel below16.79km/h triggering time charges; extracted card gives20p but not the time interval, which remains unverified. Five+ passengers£3.50/journey; bicycle outside luggage compartment£1.50; vehicle rendered unfit£100; conditional diesel supplement40p when stated government national price threshold179.9p/litre has been exceeded since1April2022. Current operative linkage and any subsequent changes not confirmed.

• Council fare card reproduced in neighbouring authority official July2022 pack

Mandatory qualifications

Official route/source found

Advanced driving assessment plus safeguarding and disability training must be no older than 12 months. Attend the council competency test after validation and aim to pass within two months.

• Current driver guidance