London Registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide

Private guided sightseeing tours by car in London and throughout Britain
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Private Hire Vehicle Licensing

Licences required by a driver-guide
Under the Private Hire Vehicles (London) Act 1998 all driver-guides operating from London require three special Private Hire (PHV) licences.

Operator's Licence
All bookings undertaken must be processed by a licensed operator. If the driver-guide does not hold a PHV operator's licence he or she may not accept bookings except from a licensed operator.

The licence under which I operate is numbered 02114 and expires on 6 March 2013

Driving Licence
All driver-guides must be in possession of a PHV driving licence. The process involves a medical examination and a police record check. .

My drivers licence number is 015399/02/02. Expires 24 November 2010.

Vehicle Licence
Vehicles are inspected annually, with an MOT test every 6 months (this is a thorough inspection which includes the machanical condition, bodywork and emissions).

My vehicle licence number is 0104209201. Expires 12 March 2011.

Copies of my PHV licences are available on request.

The credentials of London-based driver-guides can be verified on the Transport for London web site .

England and Wales
The rest of England and Wales comes under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976. As with London, driver-guides need a PHV operator's licence to accept bookings. They need also a PHV driving licence and PHV vehicle licence. However as the application of this Act varies from one authority to another there may be rare instances of driver-guides not requiring PHV licences. Under those circumstances written proof is recommended.

Scotland
PHV licences are not required if no more that one driver-guiding assignment per day is undertaken.

Northern Ireland
Driver-guides in Northern Ireland do not require PHV licences.
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