Marketing for taxi and private hire firms
Most local firms hand their customers to the booking apps and then compete with those apps on price. This page covers being findable, checkable and easy to book direct, so more of each fare stays with you.
Why most taxi firms struggle to grow
Renting customers from the apps
When a customer books through an app, the app owns the relationship. They will open the app again next time, not your number.
Hard to book at 11pm
Searches and AI answers run all night. A firm with no clear phone number, booking link or areas covered on its own site is easy to skip.
Hard to check
Customers worry about who is picking them up. A firm that shows its licensing council and operator details is easier to trust than one that shows nothing.
Whito need-to-know for taxi and private hire
In England and Wales, private hire operators, drivers and vehicles are licensed by the local council. In London the licensing body is Transport for London. In Scotland, licensing is run by local councils, and in Northern Ireland by the Department for Infrastructure.
A private hire car must be booked in advance through a licensed operator. It cannot be hailed in the street. Only licensed hackney carriages (black cabs) can pick up passengers who flag them down.
Before you book, check the firm names its licensing council, and agree the fare first.
Looking for a taxi firm instead?
Browse taxi and private hire firms in the Whito directory. Every listing is free, and position is never for sale.
See how the national taxi and private hire brands score on marketing, channel by channel.
Ready to win more direct bookings?
Start with the basics: can a customer find you, check you and book you in under a minute? The free Visibility Check shows what search engines and AI assistants can read about your firm.