Using Taxis
Types of Taxi in Northern Ireland
There are 3 types of Taxi service in Northern Ireland:
Public Hire
These taxis work from a designated stand; may be hailed in the street and they can also be pre-booked.
In central Belfast these taxis have traditionally been London style cabs, but other suitable wheelchair accessible vehicles will soon be able to be used. Elsewhere in Northern Ireland saloon cars are usually used and there is currently no legal requirement for them to be accessible to passengers in wheelchairs.
The first passenger into the taxi has the exclusive right of hire of the vehicle but sometimes the driver may ask if you are willing to share the taxi. This is at your discretion and if you elect to share, the fare can be split between the passengers, again at their discretion.
Private Hire
These are taxis which can only provide a pre-booked service made usually by telephone to a central booking office. They cannot be hailed or operated from a designated stand. This service is, as the name implies, private to the person(s) who booked it.
Most private hire taxi services are provided by saloon cars which are not accessible to passengers in wheelchairs.
Community Black Taxis
These are "London style" taxis which operate in certain areas of Belfast and Londonderry and provide a bus type service: for example, set routes, pre-determined terminus points, and an individual fare for each passenger carried. Some of the vehicles used on these routes are accessible to wheelchair passengers.
