This week, on 21st March 2018, the Southampton Hackney Association attended a meeting about the Unmet Demand Survey at the Civic Centre, Southampton.

Southampton City Council, as licensing authority for hackney carriages in the city, are legally required to carry out this independent survey at least every three years in order to maintain a limit on the number of licences they issue. This comes under the 1985 Transport Act and the 2010 Equality Act. It has now been three years since the last survey was undertaken by Vector Transport Consultancy in the Spring of 2015 who have now become LVSA (Licensed Vehilce Surveys and Assessment).

This weekend, CCTV camera will be placed strategically on taxi ranks in order to count the number of trips taxis make with customers so that a weekly estimate of the volumes can be acquired.

In addition to this, Southampton City Council Licensing Department will be sending out questionnaires to the hackney trade and relevant stakeholders for us to answer and return completed to their office.

Hackney Carriage Taxis are different to private hire cars, mini-cabs or Uber drivers because we are the only type of taxi insured to transport those who hail us from the roadside. Private hire drivers are not allowed to pick people up unless they have a booking. In order to make this clear to taxi users in Southampton, private hire vehicles can be any colour except for white and do not have a taxi sign on the roof.

Ensure you are safe when hailing a taxi by looking out for a:

• White vehicle
• Taxi sign on the roof
• Red Hackney Carriage licence plate on the back

Hackney Carriage Taxi drivers are licensed, regulated and CRB checked by Southampton City Council and nearly all have CCTV installed for your security. For a safe ride home in Southampton, hail a white Hackney Carriage Taxi.

If you are looking for someone reliable and professional to fit a meter, CCTV, dashcam or roof sign to your taxi, here are three of the best in the business recommended by Southampton Hackney Association:

Adam Collins - (07723) 566 246

If you want taxi meters or CCTV fitted to your vehicles contact Adam Collins who is the agent for Pagentry Cameras and Cygnus Meters. Adam also does dashcams and is an agent for Viking Meters out of the Southampton area.

Les Slater - (07760) 363 294

Les Slater is another agent for Viking Meters, mainly in Southampton and is additionally an agent for Verifeye Cameras. He also installs roof signs. 

Wayne Shorney - (07802) 586 186

Last but not least, Wayne is an agent for Pagentry Camera and Digitax Taxi Meters. Like Adam and Les, he can also fit and even supply dashcams, parking sensors and more.

February is soon on its way which means it's not long until Valentine's Day. With so many great restaurants to choose from in Southampton, it's the perfect place to take your loved one out for a meal. Why not try one of these Tripadvisor top rated restaurants in the city?

Max's Bar and Brasserie 

The number one rated restaurant out of 722 in Southampton, this authentic family-run italian is conveniently located in Oxford Street, just a couple of minutes walk away from the taxi rank at Terminus Terrace for an easy ride home. Max's Bar and Brasserie are offering a three course Valentine's Day Meal with the added bonus of a glass of bubbly.

Bayleaf Kitchen

Another top ten rated restaurant, Bayleaf Kitchen offer indian cuisine in a contemporary setting. Their special Valentine's Day meal includes poppadoms and chutney, three courses and a glass of champagne on arrival. The restaurant is located in Southampton High Street just three minutes walk up the road from the taxi rank located outside A Plan insurance.

The Jetty

If you're looking to push the boat out, The Jetty restaurant at Southampton Harbour Hotel at Ocean Village have a selection of Valentine's Day options to suit different tastes and budgets. They are offering a Valentine's Day Dinner menu, Valentine's Day Tasting menu and a Valentine's Day Mini Gastro menu.

With just a couple of weeks to go, hurry up and book your romantic Valentine's Day meal and why not make it an extra special treat with a taxi home? Find a white Hackney Carriage taxi at a taxi rank or simply hail from the roadside!

Southampton Hackney Association provide help and support for Southampton Hackney Carriage taxi drivers. One of the useful links (which has recently been updated) on our website will take you to an informative page about taxi and private hire vehicle licensing on the Southampton City Council website. This page provides vital information about different types of taxi licences (including how to apply), fares and taxi cameras as well as links to relevant policies and conditions. This is also the place to direct anyone who has a complaint about a Hackney Carriage taxi, private hire or minicab driver. Here you will find a downloadable complaints form as well as guidance for those wanting to make a complaint.

You can find this information here: http://www.southampton.gov.uk/business-licensing/licensing/taxis-private-hire/ Or follow the link from the SHA's Contact Us page.

The Southampton Hackney Association was established in 2000 with the purpose of providing help and support for Hackney Carriage taxi drivers in Southampton. Back in 2011, this website was created as a useful reference for both taxi drivers (who can find out about us and apply to join the association) and taxi users (educating them about the benefits of using a Hackney Carriage Taxi and giving details of the services we provide).

How often do you take a look at our blog? Here you will find regular blog posts on a range of interesting topics including up to date news and information relevant to taxi driving along with details about local Southampton attractions that can be visited by taxi.

Why not come along now and take a browse!

It's a particularly busy time of year for us all right now not to mention the members of the Southampton Hackney Association, who are busy driving the many customers requiring transport in, out and around the city for Christmas shopping and festive celebrations. 

The Southampton Hackney Association would like to take this opportunity to wish a very merry Christmas and best wishes for the new year to all our members and customers!

With less than a week before Christmas, plenty of people are enjoying nights out in the city celebrating the festive season with work colleagues, friends and family. However unfortunately, caught up in the festivities and after a few Christmas drinks, not everyone takes sufficient care ensuring they are getting a safe trip home when the evening is over.

The safest way to get home after your Christmas night out is in a white Hackney Carriage taxi which you can easily recognise by the white taxi sign on the roof and red license plate on the back of the vehicle.

Hackney Carriage taxi drivers are licensed, regulated and CRB checked by Southampton City Council. They are also the only type of taxi that you can hail from the road as opposed to private hire vehicles which can only pick you up if you have a booking.

At the end of the night, be confident in the knowledge that you are getting a safe ride home - hail a white Hackney Carriage taxi or find us at one of the many taxi ranks located throughout the city.

It's that time of year again - with just two weeks until Christmas Day, many are busy searching for the perfect gift for family and friends in Southampton city centre. With such a great range of shops in Southampton, including over 100 in Westquay shopping centre alone, it's no wonder the city is a popular destination for Christmas shopping. The Christmas market at the Above Bar pedestrian precinct is running until the 24th December and is also attracting those looking to get into the festive spirit.

Unfortunately, travelling to and from the city centre at this busy time can be a stressful experience! Queuing for car parks, finding a space and ending up miles away from the shops doesn't put most people in a festive mood! So why not take a white Hackney Carriage taxi instead? Get dropped off right where you want to be and enjoy shopping with no worries about how long you have parked for or how you will carry all those bags back to the car!

For a stress-free Christmas Shopping trip - use a taxi! You can hail a white Hackney Carriage taxi from the roadside or find us at taxi ranks conveniently located throughout the city centre including at Portland Terrace - outside Westquay shopping centre, Portland Terrace - opposite Asda, at the Bargate in the High Street and opposite Debenhams in Queensway.

Why not take a taxi to the Solent Sky Museum in Southampton? Located in Albert Road South - it's just a short 5-10 minute journey from the city centre. This fantastic museum documents Southampton's fascinating aviation history - a great day out for adults and children alike.

Solent Sky museum offers visitors the chance to:

• Learn about Southampton's significance in aviation history as home of the Spitfire and Imperial Airways flying boats
• See over 20 airframes
• Climb aboard a Sunderland flying boat
• Sit in a jet fighter cockpit

Solent Sky is voted the number one attraction out of 129 'things to do in Southampton' on Trip Advisor. Perfect for a weekend trip or Christmas holidays outing for the whole family!