Who decides taxi fares?
For hackney carriages outside London, the council, using a table of fares under section 65 of the 1976 Act. It must advertise the table in a local newspaper and allow at least 14 days for objections; if objections stand, it sets a date no more than two months later. Transport for London sets London's black cab fares, and Northern Ireland's maximum fares are set by the Department for Infrastructure.[1][2][7]
What makes up a taxi fare?
A flag fall that covers a short opening distance, a charge per unit of distance, a charge per unit of time when the car is stopped or slow, and extras. Tables switch tariff by time and day: Birmingham, for example, runs a weekend night tariff from 22:00 to 07:00 on Fridays and Saturdays and a third tariff on Christmas Day and New Year's Day.[3]
Extras vary by council. Bristol's table charges 20p for each extra adult and 30p or 50p per bag, and caps extras (other than a fouling charge) at £6.00 a journey.
How do you work out your own private hire prices?
Price from cost per paid mile, not from a competitor's sign. Add up what a car costs per week (vehicle, insurance, licences, fuel or charging, servicing, the driver's share, dispatch and card fees), divide by the paid miles it does, then add the margin you need. Empty miles to pickups count as cost, which is why fixed prices for long pickups need a minimum.
Our dead mileage calculator shows what unpaid miles cost you. Fares in TaxiDex are calculated on the server from your tariffs, distance and time bands, waiting time, zone-to-zone prices, surcharges and per-region tax, so the console, the passenger app and the invoice agree; see fares and tariffs.
When should you use fixed prices?
For airports, frequent routes and account customers, where a passenger wants the price before booking. Draw zones and set a zone-to-zone price, then keep the metered or distance tariff for everything else.
See zones and airport contracts.
How often should fares be reviewed?
At least once a year. Transport for London reviews black cab fares annually and uses a cost index that tracks drivers' operating costs (such as zero emission capable taxis, parts, insurance and fuel) and average national earnings; the same two inputs work for a private hire firm's own review.[2]
Frequently asked questions
Can a taxi charge more than the meter?
Not for a journey inside the council's area. For journeys ending outside it, rules vary: Sheffield's page says the driver may ask you to agree a fare in advance, must still run the meter, and you pay whichever is lower.
Can a taxi firm charge a cancellation fee?
Where the council's table allows it. Edinburgh's fare table from 25 July 2026 includes a £3.00 cancellation fee when a pre-booked taxi is not used.
Sources
Fees and rules change. Each source is the official page we read, with the date we read it; check it before you apply or pay.
- [1] legislation.gov.uk: Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, section 65 (fixing of fares for hackney carriages) (read 2 Nov 2026)
- [2] Transport for London, Finance Committee: Taxi fares and tariffs update (26 February 2025) (read 2 Nov 2026)
- [3] Birmingham City Council: Hackney carriage table of fares (dated 1 April 2025) (read 2 Nov 2026)
- [4] Bristol City Council: April 2025 hackney carriage table of maximum fares (read 2 Nov 2026)
- [5] Sheffield City Council: Hackney carriage fares and charges (read 2 Nov 2026)
- [6] City of Edinburgh Council: Taxi fare table from 25 July 2026 (read 2 Nov 2026)
- [7] Department for Infrastructure (Northern Ireland): Maximum taxi fares to increase (10 November 2023) (read 2 Nov 2026)