The Southampton Hackney Association (SHA) is an organisation which promotes the licensed Hackney Carriage Taxi drivers who all drive white taxis around the city of Southampton. We are licensed and insured to pick people up from the kerbside and from taxi ranks throughout Southampton. If you need a lift somewhere, you can safely hail any of the white taxi's, and know that you are in secure insured hands. (It's worth remembering that by contrast, the Private Hire minicabs, which can be any colour other than white, can only be pre-booked and must never pick people up who have not made prior contact to ride with them.)
Hackney Carriage Taxis are steeped in history; from material stored at the Archive Department at Southampton City Council, the SHA have read a ledger from The Watch Committee that goes back to the late 1800's about the Southampton Taxi Trade.
Taxis actually began way back with the Hansom Cab which first appeared in the reign of Queen Elizabeth the 1st! Wealthy carriage owners rented their horse and carriages out to help cover the costs of their keep, soon the cabs became known as Hackney coaches or cabs which comes from the Norman French word ‘hacquenée’ which means a horse suitable for hire.
Throughout the ages since the early Horse and Carriage Hackney Cabs, our licensed Hackney Taxi Drivers have been working hard all hours of the day and night driving people from A to B in all of our great cities. The Southampton Hackney Association drivers are very proud of our heritage and will continue to provide an excellent service for the people of Southampton, visiting tourists and travellers from the world over. When visiting Southampton look out for the white taxi cabs and take a ride!
There’s another reason to celebrate this spring when pub opening times are set to be extended on 10th and 11th June to mark the Queen’s 90th birthday. If you decide you’d like to raise a glass in honour of the monarch’s official birthday make sure you flag down a white Southampton Hackney Carriage taxi for a safe ride home!
With the bank holiday weekend just around the corner, many of us will be looking forward to spending time celebrating Easter with family and friends. Whatever your plans for the weekend, from enjoying a quiet family lunch or simply relaxing with a few drinks down the pub, if you’re having a drink it’s a great idea to use a taxi to get yourself home.
You can flag down a Southampton Hackney Association taxi when you see their rooflight lit or find one at one of the many taxi ranks around sunny Southampton. Don't forget we are more than happy to drive you out of the town into the New Forest or surrounding villages and beyond.
A recent court case saw two private hire drivers fined and given points on their licences for picking up passengers who had not pre booked. This prompted The Southern Daily Echo to pose the question: ‘Is it time to simplify taxi regulations?’
The current system in the UK is a two tiered. Drivers of private hire vehicles must apply for a licence and are then only insured to carry customers who have booked in advance. On the other hand Hackney Carriage or taxi drivers, such as members of the Southampton Hackney Association, apply for a licence from their local authority and are able to pick up passengers from the street or a taxi rank.
The article suggests it may be better to scrap the old system and regulate both systems as one, however as a Hackney Association we feel the problems come down to lack of sufficient enforcement. The current system is a good one, it just needs to marshalled properly.
To ensure you are travelling around the city safely make sure when you hail a cab or use a taxi rank, it’s a registered Hackney Carriage taxi. You can easily recognise our white cabs which all have a white sign on the roof and a red Hackney Carriage license plate on the back of the vehicle. By hailing a Hackney Carriage taxi, you know you are insured to travel. Private hire cars or mini cabs can be any colour except white and do not have a taxi sign on the roof.
You can read the full Daily Echo article here: Is it time to simplify taxi regulations?
Many of Southampton's white taxis are wheelchair assisted hackney carriages. These are fitted with ramps, so that we are able to provide a service for wheelchair users. if you need a taxi you can either pre-book using the form here - do mention the type of taxi you require, or look out for the larger style white licensed taxis at the kerbside in the city, where you can hail a ride without booking.
Did you know that Guide Dogs are more than welcome in Southampton's licensed white taxis? If you or a friend have an assistance dog then do use the city's taxi drivers, they are there to help you and your guide dog get from A to B
source: wikipedia
Why not treat your loved one to a special night out in Southampton this Valentines Day? Ditch the car and take a taxi to a special restaurant in or around the city or perhaps further afield. A romantic occasion deserves a bit of sparkle, why not hail a white taxi and you can both share a glass or two of bubbly to celebrate!
Here is a helpful list of the licensed white taxi ranks in Southampton:
Both sides of the Southampton train station - in Commercial Road side and on theToys R Us side
West Quay - Portland Terrace opposite main entrance to West Quay shopping centre
Portland Terrace, near bus stops by Asda
At the Bargate in High Street by A Plan Insurance
Town Quay outside Red Jet Terminal (IOW)
Terminus Terrace, near to Oxford Street
Above Bar Street, opposite Yates pub
Church Street in Shirley
Portswood High Street
Bitterne - Angel Crescent
Opposite Debenhams in Queensway
Leisureworld cinema entrance
Hannover Buildings outside Santander bank
Bannister Street outside Night Club (night time only)
St. Mary's Road outside British Gas offices (night time only)
London Road (night time only)
You can also hail a white cab from the kerbside.
It has been brought to the Southampton Hackney Associations' attention that people on a social media site have been complaining that Southampton taxi's charge too much for the Christmas and New Year period. We always try to give a good service at the festive season and like anybody in any profession who works at this special time of year, we expect to be paid slightly more than the normal rate for the anti-social hours and missing valuable time with our families.
Naturally all prices should be displayed on the taxi meter which is sealed and calibrated with all the necessary documentation of the driver and the vehicle, held by Southampton City Council (SCC) Licensing Department.
We try our best to accommodate the needs of the general public and assist the pubs and clubs, hotels and social venues, by delivering the customers to their destination and home again safely at all times of the year. Although very belated, we would like to wish our Customers a Happy New Year for 2016.
M&B Fuel Injection Service in Eastleigh, Southampton are specialists in sorting & supplying diesel fuel injection equipment. Just before Christmas this company identified my taxi fuel problem and rectified it straight away, allowing me to work throughout the festive period which was fantastic. The SHA would strongly suggest that anybody having fuel problems use this company.
You can find them here.
Hail a White Taxi in Southampton
When you are out and about in Southampton this Christmas do make sure that you hail the right taxi at the kerbside for a safe ride home. Only a licensed white taxi cab is insured and legally allowed to be hailed from the pavement or got into at a taxi rank.
Be Safe
Make sure if you want a taxi ride at anytime that you do not flag down or hail a ride in a private hire vehicle, as they cannot legally pick you up and you will not be insured should an accident occur. These vehicles will be any colour except 'white'.
White Taxis are Licensed and Insured to pick you up at the Roadside
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