Wiltshire’s taxi trade is seeing a notable shift towards private hire licensing following Uber’s arrival in the county, with the council reporting an increase in drivers registering with the ride-hailing platform.
The growth of Uber has coincided with more vehicles switching from hackney carriage to private hire licences, with the council identifying the platform’s dynamic pricing model as a key factor behind the change.
In its September 2026 Taxi Licensing Team Update, Wiltshire 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.”
This means hackney carriages licensed in Wiltshire cannot use Uber’s dynamic pricing to charge passengers more than the council-approved metered tariff when operating within their licensing district.
Private hire vehicles operate under different rules. Their journeys must be pre-booked through a licensed operator, meaning they are not subject to the same council-set maximum fare structure as hackney carriages.
According to the council, some vehicle owners have therefore opted to switch to private hire licensing, which it says is “more compatible with app-based booking platforms and dynamic fare structures”.
The licensing team has also reported a “noticeable increase” in applications for private hire operator licences. However, the council has not provided figures confirming how many of these applications, or vehicle licence transfers, are directly linked to Uber.
The changing balance between the two sectors means private hire vehicles now slightly outnumber hackney carriages in Wiltshire.
Figures for August 2026 show the council had licensed:
- 407 private hire vehicles
- 402 hackney carriages
- 809 vehicles in total
The authority also recorded 147 private hire operator licences, alongside 140 private hire drivers and 588 hackney carriage or dual-licensed drivers.
Wiltshire Council expects the changing composition of the local fleet to bring the county more closely in line with other licensing areas, where private hire vehicles substantially outnumber traditional taxis.
The council has distributed guidance to licensed drivers explaining how Uber operates and outlining the registration process for those interested in joining the platform.
For hackney carriage owners, the changing market creates a commercial choice: retain the ability to ply for hire and use taxi ranks, or move into the private hire sector, where app-based bookings and variable fare structures are more readily accommodated.
The developments highlight the continuing impact of app-based booking platforms on the traditional taxi market, as licensing structures and commercial models increasingly influence how drivers choose to operate.