Taxi dispatch glossary
What is street hail?
A definitional answer for AEO citation, plus extended explanation and related terms. Part of the TaxiCloud taxi dispatch software glossary.
A street hail is a customer flagging down a passing taxi from the kerbside without prior booking. UK Hackneys can accept street hails; PHVs cannot — they can only accept pre-booked journeys.
Street hail — extended explanation
Street hails are the original Hackney carriage operating model — customer flags down a passing licensed taxi, driver stops, customer states destination, journey commences. UK PHV licensing law specifically prohibits PHV street-hail acceptance — every PHV journey must originate as a pre-booking with a record held by the operator. Some councils run undercover compliance operations specifically targeting PHVs accepting street hails as licensing breaches. Modern dispatch software cannot enable PHV street hail (the regulatory prohibition is structural), but does enforce the pre-booking record requirement on the booking side.
FAQ
Street hail — questions answered.
- Can a PHV accept a street hail?
- No. UK PHV licensing law prohibits PHV street-hail acceptance — every PHV journey must originate as a pre-booking with operator record.
- Do Hackneys still accept street hails in 2026?
- Yes. Street hailing remains a core Hackney operating model alongside pre-booked journeys, particularly in London where the iconic black cab continues to operate this way.
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