The Door-Handle Check: Telling a Licensed Adur Cab From a Random Lift
Photo by Photo by Hulki Okan Tabak on Unsplash on Unsplash
Picture the scene: it is Friday evening, you are outside the Ropetackle, and a car with a glowing roof sign slows down beside you. Is it a cab you can simply take? Maybe. Or maybe it is a private hire car that has not been booked, which is not allowed to pick you up off the street. The difference matters, and you can check most of it before your hand reaches the door handle.
This is not about being suspicious of every car that pulls up. Most drivers around Adur are doing everything properly, and the vast majority of journeys are completely unremarkable. But a small amount of local knowledge means you can get in with confidence rather than a vague hope that it is all above board.
Two kinds of cab, one simple rule
In England, there are two main types of licensed vehicle: hackney carriages and private hire vehicles. They look similar to most people, and the distinction is not always obvious from the outside. The simple rule is this: hackney carriages can be hailed on the street or picked up at a rank. Private hire vehicles must be pre-booked through a licensed operator.
That means if you have not booked a private hire car, it is not your cab — even if the driver is friendly and the price sounds fair. A private hire driver who flags you down outside a pub or station is not doing you a favour. They are working outside the rules, and that can affect your insurance cover and your fare protection.
The plate tells you the car is licensed
Every licensed cab in the Adur area should carry a licensing plate. On private hire vehicles it is usually fixed to the rear; hackney carriages often display plates front and rear. The plate carries a licence number and the vehicle registration, and the registration should match the car you are about to get into.
Give it a quick glance. Is the plate fixed properly? Does the registration on the plate match the number plate on the car? If the plate is missing, loose, or clearly belongs to a different vehicle, that is your cue to step back and ask a question. The exact layout is set by the licensing team at Adur & Worthing Councils, but the principle is the same wherever you are: a proper cab is identifiable.
The badge tells you the driver is licensed
Drivers should wear a badge with their photo, name, licence number and the issuing council. It is usually clipped to a shirt or jacket, and it should be visible while they are working. If you cannot see it, you can ask. A genuine driver will not mind showing you — they have gone through checks to get that badge, and they are used to people asking.
What you are looking for is a match. Does the photo look like the person behind the wheel? Does the name match the booking confirmation? A badge left on the dashboard while someone else drives is not enough. The badge belongs to the driver, not the car.
The booking should already exist
For private hire, the booking should have been made through a licensed operator before the car arrives. You should have a confirmation — a text, an app notification or at least a clear record of the operator's name and number. The driver should know your name and destination without you having to spell it out from scratch.
This is where a lot of confusion happens in Adur. Someone leaves a venue, sees a car with a sign, and assumes it is fair game. If it is a private hire vehicle, it is not. A licensed operator will have logged the journey, the driver and the vehicle. That paper trail is what protects you if anything goes wrong.
What to do if the pieces do not fit
You do not need to make a scene. A simple 'sorry, I have got a booking with someone else' is usually enough to close the conversation. If you are already at the door, do not get in while you are unsure. Step back, check your phone, and ring the operator using the number on their website or booking confirmation — not a number the driver gives you on the spot.
If something still feels wrong, note the vehicle registration and the operator name. You can report concerns to the council's licensing team. They are the people who issue the plates and badges, and they take misuse seriously. If you ever feel unsafe or threatened, call 999. That is not an overreaction; it is what the emergency line is for.
The local knowledge bit
Around Shoreham, Lancing, Southwick and Worthing, most people book a cab by phone or app and wait for a specific car. The marked ranks, such as the one by Shoreham-by-Sea station, are for hackney carriages. A private hire car should not be sitting there touting for custom. If you are in Steyning or Bramber and a car offers you a lift after the last bus, ask yourself whether you booked it. If not, it is not a cab you can safely take.
None of this is about turning every journey into an inspection. It is about knowing what a proper Adur cab looks like so you can get home without a second thought. At Adur Cab Co, we are happy for you to check our plates and badges. A licensed cab should never mind being looked at closely.
