Taxi and private hire driver’s code of conduct

This code of conduct applies to all licensed hackney carriage and private hire drivers. It should be read in conjunction with this licensing authority’s taxi licensing policy and licence conditions.

The licensing authority may reconsider your fitness and propriety to act as a licensed driver if you fail to comply with this code of conduct.

[Insert name of licensing authority] taxi operators and drivers are firmly committed to offering the highest levels of service to all our passengers and promise the following:

Drivers should:

1. Be clean and tidily dressed in accordance with the Licensing Authority’s Taxi/PHV Driver’s Dress Code, with their badge visible at all times.
2. Greet passengers in a friendly way and offer reasonable help with their luggage at both ends of the journey.
3. Act in a professional manner at all times.
4. Ensure that the vehicle is in a clean, safe and satisfactory condition at all times.
5. Attend punctually when undertaking a pre-booked hiring.
6. Be professional and understanding to other road users.
7. Provide the hirer with a receipt on request.
8. Assist when necessary, passengers into and out of the vehicle.
9. Treat information they receive about passengers in a discreet and confidential manner.
10. Switch off the engine if required to wait.
11. Always ask if a vulnerable passenger needs help and should not make assumptions.
12. If the passenger wants to travel outside local authority boundary, agree the fare before setting off or agree to use the taximeter (where applicable).
13. (In the case of drivers of wheelchair accessible vehicles) Ensure that they are able to correctly deploy the vehicle ramps and are able to safely transport the passenger in the wheelchair into and out of the vehicle and secure the wheelchair correctly.

Drivers should not:

14. Make discriminatory remarks relating to age, gender, sexuality, disability, race, religion or belief.
15. Use offensive or inappropriate language in public.
16. Smoke, vape/use e-cigarettes, eat or drink in the vehicle.
17. Give or take details of any blogs or personal websites or use any form of electronic communication to send messages to a passenger that do not relate to matters around the hiring of the vehicle. This includes social networking sites such a Facebook, Twitter or any other form of electronic communication for the purpose of social messages.
18. Use their position to force or indoctrinate passengers into following a political, spiritual or religious belief.
19. Take photographs (other than images captured on and approved vehicle CCTV system) of passengers even if it is at their request.
20. Behave in a manner that may be considered intrusive, intimate, over-personal or unprofessional  with any passenger and should at no time provide any form of gift or gratuity, no matter how small or invaluable.
21. Allow any audio equipment to become a nuisance to passengers.
22. Make improper use of the vehicle’s horn by sounding it as a means of alerting hirers of his/her presence, other than in an emergency.

Conduct of hackney carriage drivers at taxi ranks (official or unofficial ranks)

Drivers should:

23. Rank in an orderly manner and proceed along the rank promptly and in order.
24. Remain in attendance with the vehicle.
25. Be polite and courteous to any taxi marshals and follow their instructions.
26. Not allow the vehicle to be on the rank unless it is available for immediate hire.
27. Not wait for pre-booked fares on the rank.