Taxi safety

In Southampton, a taxi or hackney carriage will be a white vehicle with a roof sign with the word TAXI and the Southampton City Council logo. In some cases, the sign may be a purpose-made taxi sign, in these cases there will be a TAXI side sticker with the council logo.

Southampton Private Hire Vehicles can be any colour except for white and have distinctive door stickers that state 'Pre-booked Only' and have the council logo and car number on.

The driver should be wearing his badge. But even easier to see is the plate number of the vehicle that you are in. This you can see on a sticker on the top of the passenger side of the windscreen, easily visible from the passenger seat. There is a QR code on this also that will take you to our website.

If you have pre-booked, your vehicle will have a rear plate fitted and the driver will be wearing a badge. If this is not the case, we advise you not to get into the vehicle. If you are hailing a taxi or using a rank, the vehicle must be as described before, and your driver will be wearing his identity badge. Look for Southampton City Council licensed cars as they have cameras and most other authorities do not have cameras. You’ll see the image of the Bargate. 

Apps are used by most national companies as well as our local companies, or you can telephone a local private hire company and speak with someone in person.

You are very safe travelling by licensed vehicle in Southampton. All our drivers have an enhanced DBS on the update service that is checked every two weeks, they are safeguard trained and they will have camera systems in the vehicle to ensure your safety. We advise to use the rear seat and sit in the left side if alone and you feel insecure.

If at any time you feel unsafe in a licensed vehicle, get a note of the plate number from the sticker on the inside of the passenger side windscreen. Call someone and let them know where you are and where you are going and what time you are arriving and make it clear to the driver you are doing this. A genuine driver will not mind. You can also use your phone to make sure you are heading the right way. If you look around and cannot see identifying features like a driver badge, ask to see it. If the driver has difficulty producing it, you should consider calling the Police.

You can report any comments or concerns you have regarding our licensed vehicles to the Licensing Department at Southampton City Council. There is a QR code on the sticker on the inside passenger side of each vehicle or you can email us at licensing@southampton.gov.uk. Try to get a plate number or registration number of the vehicle. 

If you lose property in a licensed vehicle, you should contact the operator that you booked with. If you used a taxi without booking, then you should contact the Police property department.