14.17
Private hire regulation expressly excludes public service vehicles and only applies to vehicles with less than nine passenger seats. Taxi legislation pre-dates modern public service legislation and instead of excluding public service vehicles carves out stage coaches (or “stage carriages” in London) which charge separate fares, as well as tramcars. Unlike private hire vehicles taxis have no limits in primary legislation on their passenger seating capacity. This means there is a potential overlap between public service vehicles and large taxis. We are not aware that this overlap has given rise to practical issues. This is likely to be because public service regulation is sufficiently flexible to cover the role of what would otherwise be a large capacity taxi.8 With the exception of systematic sharing arrangements it would be rare for taxis to pick up a sufficient number of passengers to justify using a larger vehicle.

Possibly because their known as Mini Busses and the Safety Regulations are different.

The real reason is that even an 8 Passenger Hack is carting round an unnecessary weight of metal.

But they operate under separate licensing and can't ply for hire.

Now I know people who would, if they could, license a 10/12+ seater hackney, and it appears there is no reason they can't, other than what some councils have in their bylaws.

But they operate under separate licensing and can't ply for hire.

Now I know people who would, if they could, license a 10/12+ seater hackney, and it appears there is no reason they can't, other than what some councils have in their bylaws.

Now there's me thinking that anything with nine seats and over has to have a O licence