Hackney vs private hire in Wales

A hackney carriage can wait on a rank or be hailed in the street. Its meter must not exceed the council's published maximum tariff. You do not need to book in advance.

A private hire vehicle (minicab) must be pre-booked through a licensed operator. It is still licensed by the council. The fare is a contract between you and the operator, agreed when you book — not the council tariff table.

That is the whole distinction. Both are licensed. Neither is "unregulated." The difference is how you hire them and whether the council sets the price.

When to use each

• Hackney: you are at a rank or on the street, no booking, meter runs, price capped by the council.
• Private hire: you pre-book (phone or app), agree the price, often a fixed fare for airport runs or long trips.

In practice

Most Welsh towns have both. In Cardiff, hackney carriages wait at ranks by the station and in the city centre. Private hire operators run airport transfers and account work. Many firms hold both hackney and private hire licences for different vehicles.