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Wiltshire taxi trade transformed as Uber drivers abandon hackney carriage licences for private hire, say council
Wiltshire Council has reported a growing number of drivers registering with Uber following the ride-hailing company’s licensing in the county.
The expansion of the platform has coincided with more vehicles transferring from hackney carriage to private hire licensing, with Uber’s dynamic pricing model identified as the main reason for the change.
In its September 2026 Taxi Licensing Team Update, the council said: “Within its own licensing district, a Hackney Carriage vehicle must use the approved taxi meter and cannot lawfully charge more than the metered fare. Outside of its district, these restrictions do not apply in the same way.”
The rules mean locally licensed hackney carriages cannot use Uber’s dynamic pricing to charge above Wiltshire’s approved metered tariff when operating inside their licensing district. Private hire vehicles are not subject to the same council-set maximum fare structure because their journeys must be pre-booked through a licensed operator.
The authority said some vehicle owners had consequently moved to private hire arrangements, which it described as being “more compatible with app-based booking platforms and dynamic fare structures”.
Wiltshire’s licensing team has also recorded a “noticeable increase” in private hire operator licence applications. However, the report did not provide figures showing how many vehicle transfers or operator applications were directly connected to Uber.
Private hire vehicles now marginally outnumber hackney carriages in the county. Figures for August 2026 show that Wiltshire Council licensed 407 private hire vehicles and 402 hackney carriages, giving a combined licensed fleet of 809 vehicles.
The authority also had 147 private hire operator licences, 140 private hire drivers and 588 hackney carriage or dual-licensed drivers. The council expects the changing fleet balance to bring Wiltshire closer to other licensing areas where private hire vehicles substantially outnumber taxis.
Guidance has been distributed to all licensed drivers to explain Uber’s operations and the registration process for those interested in joining the platform. The shift presents hackney carriage owners with a commercial decision over whether to retain the right to ply for hire and use taxi ranks or move to a private hire model better suited to app bookings and variable fares.
