Hi can a private hire driver be licensed in London then take bookings from his home address in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. We now have a private hire vehicle licensed in London, no plate advertising his services in Wisbech stating he is Licensed in London. As normal we cannot get hold of licensing officer to discuss.

Having spoken with my licencing officer about bookings out of area, he says the loophole at the moment is not to have an area-coded phone number, just a mobile. As a one or two car operator, I don't need an office to take bookings. The reason I asked is that I recently moved out of area, just a couple of miles over the border.

There's quite a few ?London hacks who live in the area, whether or not they take bookings here can't say because I don't know.

We have to have a landline number to have an operators license. Even hackneys are not allowed to display a mobile number on their vehicles.

but in complete fairness, your council are pretty sh*te.

And here's me trying to join them!!!

Hi can a private hire driver be licensed in London then take bookings from his home address in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. We now have a private hire vehicle licensed in London, no plate advertising his services in Wisbech stating he is Licensed in London. As normal we cannot get hold of licensing officer to discuss.

To, legally, take bookings for the use of a private hire vehicle from his home address in Wisbech requires a private hire operators licence granted by the licensing authority responsible for the Wisbech area. The same applies if a mobile phone is used to take the bookings, anywhere, within the Wisbech licensing district. Following on from that requirement, at present, the only way for any journey booked though that, licensed, private hire operator to be legal is for the driver and vehicle to, also, be licensed by the Wisbech licensing authority. All three licences must be granted by the same licensing authority and that authority must be the authority that granted the private hire operators licence.
Telephone area codes and such have no effect on the legal requirement for a PHO licence to be granted by the Wisbech authority. Where the acceptance of the private hire booking is taken is the deciding factor - his home address in Wisbech.

PCO licensed operators have different rules.

Having spoken with my licencing officer about bookings out of area, he says the loophole at the moment is not to have an area-coded phone number, just a mobile. As a one or two car operator, I don't need an office to take bookings. The reason I asked is that I recently moved out of area, just a couple of miles over the border.

There's quite a few ?London hacks who live in the area, whether or not they take bookings here can't say because I don't know.

To, legally, take bookings for the use of a private hire vehicle from his home address in Wisbech requires a private hire operators licence granted by the licensing authority responsible for the Wisbech area. The same applies if a mobile phone is used to take the bookings, anywhere, within the Wisbech licensing district. Following on from that requirement, at present, the only way for any journey booked though that, licensed, private hire operator to be legal is for the driver and vehicle to, also, be licensed by the Wisbech licensing authority. All three licences must be granted by the same licensing authority and that authority must be the authority that granted the private hire operators licence.
Telephone area codes and such have no effect on the legal requirement for a PHO licence to be granted by the Wisbech authority. Where the acceptance of the private hire booking is taken is the deciding factor - his home address in Wisbech.

Me thinks your licensing officer is advising you wrong,the courts held that where the phone rang was where the operator licence needed to be issued.so if you answer your mobile outside your area or even your operating address your committing an offence under the 1976 act.